


3R

by refan



Category: 2PM (Band)
Genre: AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-09
Updated: 2017-10-07
Packaged: 2018-04-25 13:38:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 101,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4962694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/refan/pseuds/refan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zombie Apocalypse AU in which Chansung is leading his squad, trying to survive. After an unfortunate event he meets another soldier, named Junho.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I really want to thank @egle0702 for editing this fanfic ^^

  
[](http://s66.photobucket.com/user/ielektrinta/media/3R.jpg.html)  
  


The air’s thick, full of various smells even though the facility is supposed to have the best air conditioning system. There are just too many people, around 300, taking a shelter here: a 2-storey building with a huge bunker beneath the ground in the outskirts of the city, surrounded by woods. Those who got lucky to live here are mostly the government, military, and research people and their families. Or what is left of them anyway.

Chansung’s eyes scan the view outside the massive window on the 2nd floor, taking in the fiery autumn sunset view; his hand rests on the gun, hung over the right shoulder. His black outfit absorbs the warmth and he sees a roaming corpse making its way towards the strictly secured building. It doesn’t take long before a sniper notices the invader and takes it down with a silent bullet.

“One corpse down, General Hwang.” Chansung’s earpiece delivers the message. His squad members sometimes tease him for being a superior at such a young age. An outsider would probably expect a harsh reaction, but Chansung knows there’s no ill intention behind that nickname. It’s kind of funny in a way. Sometimes.

“How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?” His voice is strict, but the guy on the other end chuckles as he senses Chansung is smiling too.

“Aw, that’s a very fitting nickname, Sergeant.” The voice coos.

“Taecyeon, sometimes I wonder how you got into this squad.”

“That’s because...”

“...You’re awesome. I know.” Chansung smirks. That’s how his comrade and second-in-command always justifies everything he does and says. “Keep your eyes open on that field, the night’s coming and you know they are too.” Anyone else in his position would scold Taecyeon, however, Chansung and he used to share a bunk bed when they joined the army. And at this point, Chansung’s just glad his old friend is alive and well. When the outbreak struck first, he wasn’t even sure if it was possible to make out of it alive. Everything was in havoc and complete chaos. It seemed like it happened ages ago.

Chansung’s squad was on a mission to hunt down a group of terrorists, but in the midst of it they were stopped by an abrupt message from the headquarters.

_Beware of rabid people, aim for the head and don’t let them bite you._

He could see dismay in the eyes of his teammates; they didn’t show it, but Chansung knew they wanted to save their families. Chansung himself had nothing to worry about: he lost his family in a major car accident when he was just 9 years old. He barely survived it himself.

That tragedy shaped him into what he is now. He volunteered for the army very early and was one of the best and fastest learners. Despite his young age, soon he became a Squad Leader in a Special Forces unit. His ambition, discipline and sharpness brought him here, where he, a 28 years old Squad Leader, is responsible for his 9 people team of extremely skilled soldiers. His squad was one of the few to manage to come to this hideout without any casualties. Everyone treated Chansung with respect, and he humbly accepted it.

It wasn’t easy to suck it up for his squad, but they had to obey the orders and save the important and useful people. Even though they managed to do that, Chansung knew that deep down his men wanted to go back and save their families too. However, they had to set their priorities straight. They always do. Chansung’s also sure that human feelings often interfere with the success of a mission, and his discipline always taught his teammates to keep a cool head. After all, they don’t belong to themselves: they’re tools that ensure someone else’s safety. They chose this path. There can be no selfish decisions.

However, in those lonely moments, Chansung can’t help but think he’s selfish too: when the members of other squads were pardoned by their Leaders (illegally), they had a chance to run for their families. To Chansung, his squad was his only family. And despite everything, you must obey your orders no matter what. So, everyone kept quiet and carried on with their responsibilities, pushing thoughts about their families somewhere deep within them.

Hope, it smoulders inside everyone, but they also are aware of reality.

It’s been almost 5 months since the outbreak and they’ve been securing this bunker for the entire time with occasional runs to get some supplies or check the territory. Zombies, or corpses, as they sometimes call them, are the most active at night. Some of them are faster than others, but if you’re fit enough, you can outrun them. Their speed depends on their feeding “schedule”: the more a zombie feeds, the faster it is.

No one really knows how or where it really started. Some say a biological weapon was used, some say it was an accident during a drug transportation, and some say it was a curse from God. Either way, Chansung doesn’t really give a shit about that. All he needs to do right now is lead his team through this pandemonium. Alive.

“Hey,” someone taps him on the shoulder.

Chansung turns around and looks at his teammate, whose face is calm as always. Nichkhun has that weird quality that makes him look like a beautiful piece of art, but at the same time he omits this intimidating aura. Not for Chansung though, he knows what Nichkhun is capable of and he uses it against the enemies. This guy is the best when it comes to psychological aspects of combat. Unfortunately, you can’t use that against the undead.

“Nichkhun?”

“We have some problems with the solar panels outside the building, running low on energy.” He reports casually.

“Oh, so that’s why the air feels so thick...” Chansung glances at the air vents. “What do they want of us?”

“They need an escort while they fix it. Also, we heard reports about a herd moving towards us. If we’re fast enough, we might miss it.” Khun nods towards the East side of the building, opposite from them.

“The best timing, isn’t it?” Chansung smirks and Khun replies with the same smirk. The Squad Leader presses a button on his earpiece and speaks. “All team members gather at the back exit in 2 minutes. We’re going on an evening stroll.”

“I actually prefer evening strolls rather than watching from afar.” Nichkhun speaks as they walk downstairs. A kid, about 8 years old, runs past them. “Right now, it feels like we’re just babysitting.”

Chansung grins slightly. “I can relate. But I thought you’d enjoy this... serenity.”

“I don’t think you believe your own words, Sergeant.” Khun glances at Chansung smiling.

“Ah, you know me well.” Chansung acts defeated, though they both know that this serenity isn’t as satisfying as being on the field. Their lives are always on the line, they are always risking it and they’re always on the move. Or used to be. Now that bravery and the skills they have can be used only to kill thoughtless creatures. Sometimes Chansung thinks there must be something wrong with how they see things.

Living in an isolated space, acting as security guards is sort of downgrading to a Special Force unit like Chansung’s. They’re all connected by that adrenaline rush, which they are missing right now. Every chance to go outside and do something else, other than watching the perimeter from the rooftop, is what his team enjoys the most. It’s probably weird to enjoy things like that, while others are just lucky to be alive, but when you’re used to being always on the move, it’s hard to just stand and do nothing all of a sudden.

There’s the rest of Chansung’s team waiting near the exit with a couple of people from the technical department. Loud steps echo from the stairwell and everyone looks at a grinning Taecyeon, holding his rifle in one hand and fixing his earpiece with the other. “Sorry, had to wait for another team to replace me. There’s an influx of roamers coming from the woods and a few regulars, no runners in sight so far.”

“Good.” Chansung says. “If there’s 3R, we’re going back inside immediately.” His team members nod and Chansung stares at the couple of technicians. “Got it?” They nod fervently, clearly scared to go outside, unlike Chansung’s team, clearly eager. “Have you ever experienced being ambushed by 3R?” He asks the duo.

“3R? Like, the zombies?” One of them asks, his voice weak like his posture.

“I thought you’d know the term.” Chansung arches his eyebrow at them. What are they, first graders?

“We have never really had the chance to go outside ever since the beginning...” The other one with thick glasses explains. Chansung wants to curse.

“Seriously?” He exhales. “First lesson: zombie classification. 3R stands for 3 types of zombies: First. Roamers: the weakest ones, they’re like an equivalent of a very vicious turtle. They can be very quiet, which helps them to approach and bite you easily. Second. Regulars: they emit more sounds and they’re faster and stronger than roamers, but you still can outrun them if you’re fit enough.” Chansung looks the duo up and down, one of them unconsciously grabbing on his plump stomach. “Third. Runners: if you meet them, you have only two choices. One, run for your life. Second, kill them. Well, there’s also the third choice; kill yourself before they bite you. So, if there are Roamers, Regulars and Runners on sight it’s 3R and, basically, you’re screwed.”

“W-what..?”

“Don’t worry; we’re here to protect you though.” Chansung grins and straightens up, walking towards the door. “Everyone, are you ready?” He asks, not really his squad, but the shaking duo. They nod. “Good, let’s go out for a walk then.” He opens the door and a gust of wind greets them, blowing a few brown leaves inside the corridor.

“Whose idea was to build the main energy source outside the building anyway? You could have used a rooftop for that.” Taecyeon asks, as they surround the technician duo and make their way the towards the electricity compound, around 100 metres away.

“Well, no one really expected to experience a zombie apocalypse when they built this bunker 15 years ago.” The bulkier technician answers. “Also, we have some panels installed on the rooftop and windows. But this one is directly connected to the air conditioning system and a few other minor functions.”

“You say it like air conditioning is a minor thing. There’s a huge number of people trying to survive there, breathing that thick air.” Someone notices.

“The building wasn’t designed for that many people to begin with...” The lean one explains, slightly annoyed.

“That’s obvious.” Chansung says strictly, cutting down the chit-chat. They’re at the locked gate leading to the solar panels. “Code.” He makes a swift movement with his hand, motioning one of the technicians towards the code panel. “Roamer on 11, Minjae.” Chansung points at the zombie and his team member shoots it to the head quickly. Guns with silencers are the best invention at moments like these, when the enemy is attracted by sound, Chansung thinks and glances at the rooftop. He can’t see a sniper from another squad; they’re probably busy with another side of the building.

The gate opens and the duo enters the compound, eager to fix the problem as soon as possible. His team members take care of single roamers, Chansung himself taking on a few regulars. Usually, all squads take shifts to keep the building safe as there are 7 of them in total and usually they take down the zombies without going outside, covering whoever is doing a job in the yard. Chansung glances at the rooftop again, but sees no one to help them out.

“That’s weird.” Chansung mumbles and Taecyeon hears him.

“What?”

“Did you see the other team on the rooftop when you left?”

“Yeah, what about it?” Taecyeon’s face seems concerned, but he notices another roamer and shoots it down.

“There’s no one on the rooftop. And we have a herd moving towards us.” Chansung frowns and moves closer to the electricity compound entrance. “Hey, how long till you fix whatever’s wrong with that thing?”

“Just a few more minutes.” A voice echoes from the inside.

Chansung presses his earpiece. “Headquarters, what’s up with the team on the rooftop? I can’t see any snipers.” There’s silence and some fuzzy noises, but no one answers. “Headquarters, this is Sergeant Hwang, do you copy?” It seems like someone presses the button to reply, but all Chansung hears is fuzziness. And then he hears screams. “Squad!” Everyone looks at him. “There’s something wrong in the headquarters. We need to go back.”

“Got it!” Everyone nods and waits for his further command.

“You two, ditch the fixing now. We’re going b-.”

There’s a flash penetrating the darkened windows and all of them hear a sound of what might be an explosion. The windows don’t shatter though, made from hell knows what to sustain any damage. Perhaps the explosion wasn’t that huge, Chansung thinks and runs with his team towards the front of the building, with the technician duo behind them.

“The door is locked!” Nichkhun reports and kicks it, but it doesn’t budge.

_Biohazard alarm. The building will self-destruct in 2 minutes. All exits are sealed._

A calm automatic female voice announces from the speakers. The building’s supposed to be soundproof and with the darkened windows they can’t see what’s happening inside, but standing so close, they realise there are people trying to leave the building, hitting at the indestructible glass. Everyone looks at Chansung, hardly believing what they’ve just heard.

“Stay back.” Chansung senses it’s futile, as he lowers his gun and points it at the door. When he shoots it, the bullet rebounds and nothing else happens. Not even a scratch. “Let’s try the back entrance. Are there any other exits?” He asks the technician duo as they run around the building, killing zombies in their way swiftly.

“No.”

“Shit.” Chansung says and they stop in front of the door they have just walked through themselves 10 minutes ago. “Is there anything we can do to stop the self-destruction mechanism?” He stares at the duo, but they just shake their heads, scared for their own lives. “How do we save those people then?!” He demands now.

“I-I don’t know... When the self-destruction program is initiated, there’s no going back...”

“3R!” Someone screams and Chansung turns around on time to kick a zombie in the gut, the others quickly pressing it to the ground and stabbing the head.

“We-we have to leave!” The bulky technician yells, starting to panic.

“Shut up,” Nichkhun punches him. “Chansung?”

_The building will self-destruct in 1 minute._

Chansung sighs. “Fine. Let’s-”

“Hey!” A voice from above speaks and for a moment Chansung’s puzzled, but then he and the rest look up and see a person leaning from the rooftop. “Can you catch me? The rope is too short.”

“Come on, be quick!” Chansung says and six of them form a net of arms for the stranger, whose face can’t be seen that well in the darkness, while the others secure them from zombies. “Taecyeon, Minjae, run and get us a car.” They nod and leave.

The stranger throws his body over the ledge, hanging on the rope, which barely reaches the top of the first floor. His moves a slightly rigid, but he moves quickly. He must be injured.

A soldier, Chansung thinks.

“Ready?” He asks.

“Jump down.” Chansung confirms and a second later their arms catch a young man, dressed in the same black outfit as them. The sergeant also notices a bandage on the unknown soldier’s neck.

_30 seconds left._

The voice announces.

“Are the more?” Chansung asks quickly.

“Just me.”

“Okay. Run to the vehicle!” Everyone’s on their feet, running towards the moving military truck. Nichkhun joins Taecyeon and Minjae on the front seat and everyone else moves into the back of the truck, shielded by a thick camouflage fabric.

_10 seconds left._

“Go go go!” Chansung thumps the glass continuously, separating him and the driver’s cabin.

The truck speeds away from the facility, running over a couple of zombies and Chansung stands up when a pair of rotten hands grasp onto the edge of the truck, trying to get in. A runner.

Chansung holds onto the top of the truck’s hood and as he aims for the head, the building in the distance blows up. The car shakes violently, a heat of wave reaching them even that far away. Chansung falls back and the unfazed runner climbs on the sergeant’s legs, but before it manages to bite him, it collapses on top of Chansung, the zombie’s head pierced with a knife.

Chansung looks up and meets the unknown soldier’s eyes. They both nod to each other, no formalities exchanged, while his squad members throw the body out of the truck. He sits down across from the stranger and joins everyone in staring at the flaming building. So many people died in vain, with no chance to get away from this. Whatever happened there is a riddle now. However, one person should know what caused this terrible misfortune.

The Sergeant stares at the guy in question, who’s still gazing at the place they barely escaped. There’s nothing really that different about him, except for the bandage on his neck and a fresh cut wound on his eyebrow. The stranger’s holding onto his arm, probably injured from before. It must’ve been hard to hang on that rope.

“What’s your name?” The guy finally looks back at Chansung, his expression not saying much of how he’s really feeling.

“Junho.”

“Here, wipe your eyebrow.” Chansung hands him an antiseptic wipe. “I’m Chansung, the Team Leader of this squad. Well, except for those two lucky, or poor, depends on how you look at it, technicians over there.” He nods at the two men, dressed in regular pants and sweaters. “So, Junho, how come you’re the only one to get out of there alive?”

Junho wipes his eyebrow and glances at the stained wipe before he looks back at Chansung.

“I guess I was at the right place at the right time.” And he throws the used bloody wipe over the edge of the truck.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks @egle0702 for editing!

The truck sways lightly, lulling the technician duo to sleep. Chansung’s squad is awake, but there’s an obvious glint of tiredness in their eyes. Everyone’s deep in their thoughts and no one speaks about what happened. It just did and there’s nothing they can do about it. Post factum.

The ride’s pretty quiet and calm, as the explosion drew all the zombies towards the only source of light in the night sky. Vapour escapes Chansung’s mouth as he sighs, thinking of what they should do next. Right now, they’re heading for the safe house. Junho stays silent, probably feeling bad about the people, maybe even his own squad, who were left behind, but it’s just a guess. Who knows what’s behind that serene facade. Chansung will talk to him later.

He glances at his own team; Nichkhun, Minjae and Taecyeon on the front seat, and the rest here with him in the back: Seulong, Changmin, Namyong, Seungho, Joon and Himchan. And then there’s the technician duo sitting beside Junho. Chansung realises they haven’t introduced themselves yet and he doesn’t care that they’re probably asleep.

“You two!” His voice seems to wake everyone up, even if they haven’t been asleep. Technicians perk up, staring at Chansung questioningly. “Granted you survive this at least till tomorrow morning, I’d like to know your names.” He demands.

“I’m Hyeongdon”, the chubbier one with thick glasses responds. The man looks around 50 years old, but his colleague is probably at least 20 years younger. They should be able to defend themselves, even though they presumably have zero combat skills, Chansung contemplates inwardly. You don’t have to be a soldier to smash someone’s head. However, they’ve been living inside the building since the outbreak and Chansung only wonders if any of them has had a chance to kill a zombie.

“I’m Wooyoung,” the younger technician is fidgeting slightly under Chansung’s intense stare, but the guy does his best to look confident. Chansung smirks for a brief moment.

“Well, nice to meet you, guys. Now... How to put it simply...” The Sergeant begins, “I hope your survival skills do not suck.”

His words are met with anxious lip biting and glances, but it’s not a summer boy scout camp and there’s no point in beating around the bush. These guys will have to fight to survive and if they can’t – it’s their problem. Chansung doesn’t include Junho in this psychological preparation, because the latter clearly doesn’t need it as he’s a soldier himself. A crease appears between Junho’s eyebrows as he stares at the obviously depressed duo and it makes Chansung feel like an ass for a moment.

 _Who cares_ , Chansung looks away.

The truck slows down and makes a left turn, going through a remote road. There are more trees surrounding the area. Just a few more minutes and there’s a rather clean yard and a two-floor house.

“Where are we-” Wooyoung is about to ask when Chansung puts a finger to his lips and the vehicle stops. He jumps off the truck first, his team following him and the guest trio makes their way into the circle the last.

“Khun and Taec, we go in first.” Chansung commands quietly. “Seulong, Changmin – you sweep the basement. Namyong and Joon, you take the 2nd floor. Seungho and Himchan, you stay outside and keep our guests safe until I give a sign.” Everyone nods and moves into their positions.

The house doesn’t look that much different since the last time they’ve been there, but it’s always the safe-looking places that get you in trouble. Roamers are tricky as hell when you let your guard down. Chansung opens the door, Nichkhun and Taecyeon beside him as they sweep the first floor, while the other 2 teams sweep their assigned places.

There’s nothing but dust and soon Chansung gives a sign for the rest of the team to enter the house. They gather in the living room as Chansung looks at the clueless trio. “This is our safe house.”

“Safe house?” Junho asks, curious.

“We had a few chances to leave the facility, so we made this place our safe house. In case we get swarmed by zombies or... Well. Thinking into the future has paid off now. We have left some food here; a few boxes of canned goods, water.”

“Food? That means you stole from the facility?!” Hyeongdon stares at Chansung, clearly feeling a lot more superior, because even though Chansung’s a Sergeant, he’s still younger than the technician. Like he has higher moral ground to preach him.

“Listen,” Chansung comes closer to him, his eyes as cold as ice. “When shit goes down, you have to think of all the possible scenarios to make it through. Even when you think you are safe – you are not. Being the team leader I have to take all measures possible to save not only my ass, but also those who are with me. These guys saved so many useless people. Who cares about politics? We had to save some so called “important personas”, and these guys,” Chansung points at the crowd around them, still staring at the older man. “They had to leave their own families behind, thinking they’re working for something greater. Sure, we saved a few important researchers, but did you notice who half of the people were in that facility?” Silence. “Politics. Useless. No tremendous input in what we had in that facility whatsoever. Even then they had time to play their dirty little games. So, when we stole,” Chansung air quotes the word. “Did we really do such a bad thing? When there’s no legitimate government, only chaos, when everyone has so much on their plate and all they want to do is survive – is it such a bad thing to have a backup plan?”

The wind howls stronger outside, but it can’t break the tension. Hyeongdon loses the battle as he looks away, not being able to refute Chansung’s arguments. Whether stealing is right or wrong, Chansung’s plan to make a safe house was most definitely a good decision.

“Joon, Seungho, Seulong, park that truck right beside the 2nd floor window, in case we need to get out of there quickly.” Chansung takes a step back from the bewildered older technician. “We will take shifts, change every hour, one person. Get some rest, we will decide on our plan in the morning.” Chansung looks at Junho. “Come with me.” He nods and follows Chansung to the 2nd floor.

They enter a bedroom, auburn flowery wallpapers and an old bed indicating this room probably belonged to an old lady. Junho notices a pack of threads and a couple of knitting needles resting at the night table. Chansung closes the curtains, grabs a lighter and lights up a lantern, which is placed beside the knitting tools. There’s a tiny round table and two cosy armchairs across each other. Chansung’s takes the lantern and puts it on the round table, motioning Junho to sit across from him.

“That was harsh.” Junho speaks up finally. No judgement in his tone though. “But I get it.”

“It’s easy for them to judge when they have no experience in this.” Chansung looks at Junho sitting down, doing the same himself. “But you know we’re here to talk about you.”

“Suddenly, I’m at the centre of attention,” Junho’s casual smile adds up to the lantern light, giving it more warmth. Or maybe the other way around. Chansung doesn’t dwell on it.

“Was your squad in the facility?”

“No,” Junho shakes his head, his warm features disappearing quickly. “I was lucky to get to the facility to begin with.”

“How come?”

“I’m pretty sure you knew everybody in that building.” Junho wears a half-smile, to which Chansung responds the same. “You must have heard about a person brought in about two weeks ago.”

“I think I missed that piece of information.” Chansung frowns a bit. “The government” didn’t care enough to let the squads know of the rescued people. And if it wasn’t on his shift, there’s no wonder he didn’t get the memo. “What happened?”

Junho stays quiet for a few moments, before he leans forward, intertwining his fingers on his knees, his eyes fixated on the lantern. “My squad wasn’t very... cooperative, when the outbreak struck. Half of them fled, half of them, including me, stayed behind, trying to help people. At the pace everything was going down, we knew there was no way our families were alive. After all, according to some reports, the outbreak began in the area our families lived at.” Junho’s words weigh hard and it’s not the best time to be happy about something, but Chansung feels glad his own family didn’t live to see this chaos. “So, the four of us did everything to help people. My Team Leader also betrayed us, and me, the second person in command, had to lead the other 3 team members.” He looks up at Chansung. “I’m jealous of your squad.” He smiles briefly.

“I take it you abandoned the idea of saving people after some time.” The only logic conclusion Chansung could come up with since there are more zombies than the living people.

“True. A few weeks ago, we found a military radio and we heard an announcement about a safe shelter.”

“Our facility.” Chansung concludes and Junho nods. He knew about the radio transmissions, but didn’t believe there could be any survivors left to hear it. He was wrong.

“Unfortunately, at the rendezvous point, we got attacked by 3R. We had no ammunition left. All we had were knives.” Junho sighs and leans back, rubbing his forehead. “When a squad from the facility finally showed up, I was the only one standing.”

“You survived?” Chansung finds it hard to believe. Of course, it’s possible, but knowing they were hungry, tired and with no ammunition, it was basically a miracle.

“Well...” Junho taps on his arm and neck. “I got some injuries, but yeah. That squad got just right on time to get me out of there. As for my brothers...” He says the word gently as he shuts his eyes tightly. Chansung can’t imagine losing his team members. He won’t let that happen. “Anyway, I’ve spent about two weeks at the hospital.”

“So, what went down really? How did you get on that rooftop before the doors were shut? There should have been a squad there.” Chansung leans forward, his elbows digging deeper into his knees. As much as he’d like to believe this guy is just simply lucky, Chansung knows better than to trust just the factor of luck.

“It’s just...” Junho licks his lips. “There was an outbreak... In the laboratory, close to where I was staying.” Chansung frowns slightly. “I had a feeling this won’t end well... that zombie...” Junho bites on his lip, close to actually piercing it. “It was different.”

“What do you mean?” A different zombie? A mutation? Chansung hasn’t heard of anything like this before. 3R was bad enough.

“I don’t know, it was very strong. It almost seemed like it had a mind of its own... You know... Like actually being able to process things, to defend itself...”

“Are you telling me... A zombie could _think_? Like a human?” A crease between Chansungs eyebrows deepens. Now, this sounds like a fantasy fiction. But then again, zombies were a fiction once too.

“I’m not saying that. I’m just telling you what it looked like.” Junho purses his lips briefly. “The infection was spreading very fast. I’ve never seen it before. Whatever those researchers had been working on, it destroyed the place in seconds.” Junho stops talking, gazing at his slim fingers on his lap. “Since the hospital and the laboratory were on the 2nd floor, I managed to get to the rooftop just on time. I passed the squad coming down from the rooftop; they probably got an order to help contain whatever was happening at the laboratory at that point. And before I knew it, I heard the biohazard announcement. I tried to open the door, but I couldn’t... I noticed that short rope lying on the rooftop and thought I was most definitely going to die if not from the explosion, then from falling down, but then I heard you talking.” Junho’s eyes light up as he looks at Chansung.

“Why didn’t you try to help? Why didn’t you stay back? You’re a soldier.” Chansung’s voice is composed. Something doesn’t add up here. Junho’s eyes widen.

“In my condition? I think you of all people should understand what it is like to finally get to a safe place... You lose your guard, I don’t know, perhaps I was just too tired, not only physically, but mentally as well. I’ve lost the people closest to me, barely survived and when I finally got to a safe place I just... panicked.” He hugs himself involuntarily, looking vulnerable. That can make sense, but...

Somehow, Chansung feels irked by this story. He has had many interrogations before and this doesn’t look like one at all, however, he used to be able to discern between truths and lies pretty good at those times. Junho’s a soldier, that is obvious solely by the way he holds himself. Second-in-command on top of that. There are so many questions Chansung wants to ask, but he decides against it. Sooner or later, he will make Junho speak the truth.

When was the last time Chansung was wrong about someone? He cannot remember. The story he has just heard seems pretty convincing, but that bothering feeling deep inside... Maybe he’s becoming a little bit paranoid with everything happening around him? Chansung decides to refrain from making rash decisions this time. Perhaps he just needs to get some rest first.

“Okay.” Chansung says and stands up. “You can take this bed since you just got off the hospital,” Junho smiles at him.

“Thanks.”

“We will share though,” Junho’s lips part at that statement, but he doesn’t object. The house is small and the number of beds is even smaller. “I’ll bring Taecyeon to this room as well. We’ve gotta avoid crowding on the first floor. There should be some band aids in the bathroom. For your wound.” Chansung glances at the dirty bandage on Junho’s neck.

“Chansung,” Junho’s voice stops the latter as he’s about to leave the room. He turns his head towards Junho, an eyebrow raised questioningly. “Thanks for saving me back there.”

“I’m sure you’d do the same.” Chansung smiles and walks to the first floor.

“So?” Taecyeon’s voice greets him and Chansung comes closer to his subordinate, so no one would hear them.

“I don’t know, his story seems fishy to me.” Chansung crosses his arms on his chest. Taecyeon waits for a more elaborate explanation. “Allegedly, his squad, or what was left of it, heard our radio signal. Junho barely made it alive, a squad from the facility brought him back and he’s been staying at the hospital for around 2 weeks. He says there was an outbreak in the research laboratory. According to him, there was some sort of mutation happening to the zombies.” Chansung whispers. “Like it could control its actions. Like it had a functioning brain.”

“This is not a joke, is it?” Taecyeon’s frowning as well. “If he’s telling the truth, that means we, human kind, could stand no chance against them. Undead immortal army, can you imagine?”

“Hell knows, at this point everything seems to be credible. Anyway, he says he panicked and got to the rooftop right on time. Lucky bastard, huh?” Chansung snuffles.

“Unbelievably lucky, if you ask me. But hey, maybe we’re reading too much into this. I mean, we’ve been through some crap.” Taecyeon shrugs, leaning back onto the wall.

“Yeah. Taecyeon, just keep one eye on him. Also, we will be sharing a room with him.” Taecyeon nods.

“Should I go to babysit him now?” He grins, making Chansung chuckle. His light-hearted humour always finds a way into Chansung’s heart.

“Yeah, I will take the first shift.”

There’s a lot on Chansung’s mind, he doesn’t notice when his 1 hour shift turns into 2. Overthinking is also dangerous. When you’re responsible for leading a team, you must take all things into consideration. It’s easy when you know everyone, but there are 3 new people with them and one of them looks suspicious. Chansung walks outside, listening to the night sounds coming from the woods. A regular person would be scared, especially during a zombie apocalypse, but strangely enough, Chansung finds comfort here.

He shuffles his feet around the house slowly, hearing occasional small noises, nothing out of the ordinary. They always have their essentials in the countless pockets in their uniforms, but they can’t fit everything in there, like loads of bullets. Chansung looks at his gun, shaking his head lightly. They don’t have much ammunition left. His squad will have to find more somewhere.

The Sergeant looks up quickly, when something emerges from the bushes and he aims for the head, but seconds later lowers his gun, reaching for the knife on his belt. The roamer is in a very bad condition; one arm missing, half of her jaw is gone. Looks like a young lady. Chansung makes his way towards her, kicks her in the stomach and presses his feet to her neck, disabling her from getting up.

Her eyes look muddy, a shade of icy blue reflecting the moonlight. A gurgle escapes her mouth and Chansung squats, his shoe digging deeper into her dirty neck.

“You weren’t that lucky, huh?” He says quietly, her weak fingers grasping at his leg. Chansung doesn’t waste anymore of his time and his knife blade pierces her head, finally sending her to an afterlife.

Moments later, he goes back to the house and rotates his shift to Taecyeon, who, judging by the look on his face, didn’t really sleep well. His subordinate leaves the room in silence and Chansung lies down beside sleeping Junho. Chansung faces his back, noticing how steady Junho’s breathing is as his frame lifts up and down in a slow pace. It’s calming, and as Chansung is hypnotised by it, he falls asleep too.

 

It feels like a blink of an eye, when Nichkhun wakes him up, gently patting his arm. “Morning, Sergeant.” His smile is warm and Chansung sits up immediately, moving his feet onto the floor. He looks back at Junho, who’s obviously already awake, staring at the ceiling. And then there’s Taecyeon, standing behind Nichkhun. Did he get any sleep at all? Chansung feels slightly uncomfortable that he is the only one, who had to be woken up. It’s probably the first time in months, or years.

“Is everyone up?” He asks, rising to his feet.

“Almost.” Nichkhun says.

“Good. Let’s have breakfast and then we will have a morning meeting. Including you,” Chansung looks back at Junho and the latter nods.

The breakfast isn’t anything extraordinary, just regular canned food, which everyone devours to the last bite. A group this huge will consume it all in no time. They will have to ration it carefully if they want to survive for as long as possible. Fresh food is out of the question, unless you’re lucky to hunt an animal. Some guys open the curtains, letting the sunlight into the house. At first it blinds Chansung, but soon his eyes get used to it.

Even after the meal, Hyeongdon looks annoyed, sitting in the corner and avoiding Chansung’s eyes at any cost. He probably still feels bitter about yesterday, not that Chansung cares about him. Wooyoung sits on the sofa, sharing it with Seulong and Namyong. He seems to be getting along with them, and not everyone can get along with Namyong. That says something, Chansung smirks to himself.

“Okay, gather up.” Chansung puts his can away and stands up, attracting everyone’s attention. “We don’t have many choices as to what our next move should be. Survival is the most important. I think we should move somewhere safer, as crazy as it sounds.” His team nods. “The question is – is there a safe place anywhere nearby? Or in this country at all? We also don’t have that many bullets left. We also don’t know if there are any functioning military bases left. We don’t know how many secret and safe facilities there are left. We know nothing, basically. So, where should we be heading to? Any ideas?”

There’s a murmur in the living room, everyone’s discussing their options, but they’re just like Chansung in this situation. They don’t know anything. “Maybe we should head for a bigger city?” Seulong suggests.

“No, we will meet 3R for sure. Too dangerous.” Joon disagrees and other guys second that thought.

“But we need to get ammo,” Seungho speaks up, others agreeing with him.

“Yeah, we do. But we also need to get to it alive.” Namyong notes, Wooyoung’s nodding fervently beside him.

“Or we could get better weapons, like machetes, swords, that don’t require bullets and avoid big cities with 3Rs.” This time Nichkhun interrupts the noise.

“True, but...”

The commotion gets louder, everyone suggesting different options, none of them satisfactory enough for Chansung. They must go on a mission, though. Getting from point A to point B will keep the guys together and Chansung has to find the point B somewhere in this zombie infested wasteland.

“There might be a cure.” A smooth deep voice pierces the murmur and everyone stares at the source of it. Everyone’s eyes are on Junho, but he’s staring straight into Chansung’s eyes.

“Excuse me, what?” Someone asks, but Junho doesn’t break the eye contact with Chansung, a small crease appearing between the Sergeant’s thick eyebrows.

“Don’t give false hope to these people, Junho.” Chansung’s voice is as calm as Junho’s.

“I’m just telling you what I overheard.”

“Overheard what, exactly?” Chansung inquires, crossing his arms on his chest. What is up with that guy? He watches Junho intently as the latter licks his lips before speaking.

“I wasn’t supposed to hear this, obviously, but I did.” Junho stands up, placing his hands in his pockets. “Lab researchers were talking about a secret laboratory on the Southcoast, not too far from the Great River. Ever heard of it?”

“I think I did.” Chansung says. Only top squad members knew about it as the facility supposedly was responsible for conducting mostly dangerous and inhumane research, which would anger many pet rights activists, eco lovers and what not all over the world. That laboratory was disguised as a simple military research laboratory. The reason he knows about it is because his squad was supposed to secure it, but it was decided against that as his team was too skilled for acting just as a simple security guard team. They had more important missions to do.

“They were talking about that laboratory as one of the most advanced in terms of finding a cure. However, they lost contact with it. I think they were contemplating about sending a squad there, but it’s just an assumption.” Junho shrugs, his hands still in his pockets.

“So, you think going there is worth it?” Chansung asks, having his own doubts. Why, in the first place, Junho didn’t mention anything about that yesterday? He could’ve done it when they were alone, but bringing up news like this, completely out of the blue in a crowded room... Chansung’s face stiffens.

“It’s our only choice, in terms of the most likely secure place, isn’t it? Also, if they are really that advanced in developing the cure, they will need help distributing it or doing whatever they need skilled people to do.” Junho seems to be nonchalant about all of this, like he isn’t implanting the seed of doubt in everyone’s head, but Chansung’s pretty sure he knows what Junho’s doing. He’s manipulating everyone into going there. Not that is seems like a bad plan in their current situation, but...

“What if the facility was destroyed and that’s why the connection was lost? Going there could cost us lives; it’s on the other side of the country.” Chansung tries to get him and Junho looks puzzled for a moment.

“I don’t know. It’s not my decision to make for your squad, but I’m willing to take my chances and go there.” This answer seems genuine. Junho’s not a part of Chansung’s squad, he’s a free person and he can do whatever he wants. But the murmur inside the room shows interest and his team members are actually considering this crazy option. Junho sits down.

“Alright. Let me summarise our current situation.” Chansung sighs, rubbing the back of his neck briefly. “Staying here isn’t safe enough. We don’t have much ammo left. Soon, we will run out of food. We don’t know if there are any safe zones left, let alone bunkers. We also should stay away from big cities due to massive amounts of 3R. We could just wander around, looking for a proper place to stay till this blows out, if it blows out at all. Or we could risk our lives travelling across the country, looking for a laboratory, even if we don’t know whether it’s still intact or safe. I will ask only one question, so think it through very well. Raise your hand, if you’d like to risk everything and go to that facility.”

Any other sane person would probably stay behind and look for a safer place nearby. As Chansung sees the number of hands raised up, he smirks at his insane squad. They probably had too much free time on their hands for the past few months, locked up in that facility. Only Hyeongdon keeps his arm glued to his chubby torso. Even Wooyoung has his arm up. That’s a surprise; Chansung should give more credit to that technician.

Even if he has his doubts about Junho, Chansung would also be raising his arm up. Not that he wants to die trying to get there, but his team needs this. They need a mission and they’re hungry for it. He can see it in their eyes. Sometimes Chansung thinks his squad is still intact and alive solely because of that adrenaline and courage. These guys are always confident in themselves, but not cocky. Cocky gets you killed.

“It’s all settled then. We’re going on a mission.” Chansung concludes, feeling Junho’s intense gaze on his face.

That guy knows something and Chansung will get that information. Sooner or later. All he has to do is get closer to him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks @egle0702 for editing!

Chansung’s behind the truck wheel, enjoying himself a little. Usually, it’s someone else doing the driver’s duty, but this time the squad leader has volunteered to do it. It’s nice to relax while driving through an empty road, covered in crunchy tree leaves. Also, he needs to compose himself before they reach that town to gather some supplies and guns. Chansung doesn’t know what to expect from this tiny detour, but a few hours ago they’ve decided to try their luck. They need to gear up anyway.

It was Wooyoung who had suggested going to Woodpine. Apparently, he spent his childhood there and his father used to work in the local police department. That’s how he got involved in the government work. Even though he didn’t choose the same path his father did, as Wooyoung seemed to love electronics more than serve the community, he still was influenced by his dad a lot. It was only his second year working at that government-operated facility, which was now gone thanks to the self-destructive mechanism. Wooyoung was one of the team members working at the Electronic Engineering and Technology department.

So, when he said there was a secured room full of guns, Wooyoung’s offer to raid the local police department was met with enthusiasm. Despite the fact that no one knew how badly the town might have been damaged or if the room was still untouched, Chansung agreed this was by far the best option they had at the moment. They might find some gas there too; they’re running low on it.

“Here we are,” Wooyoung says, sitting in the middle between Chansung and Taecyeon.

They pass by a dusty welcome sign, a few roamers turning their heads at the truck lazily. So far so good, Chansung thinks, as he doesn’t see 3R. He’s not surprised when he notices Woodpine looking quite devastated; random cars scattered across the area, piles of trash, dead bodies and eerie silence. It’s still weird to see such a macabre view; no matter how much time passes, it’s still shocking.

Those buildings were full of living people once, doing their daily routine, happy or sad, but alive. Now these walls are empty, wind howling through the broken windows and abandoned corridors.

“Can we just go around that block?” Wooyoung asks, biting on his lip. He’s nervous, Chansung assumes, and when he makes a turn they enter a cosy looking neighbourhood, filled with small neat houses. It doesn’t take long for Chansung to realise why Wooyoung asked to go through this exact block.

“Your family lives here.” He feels Wooyoung’s eyes on his profile. “Lived.”

“I just wanted to see... Even if it’s from afar... Our red brick house...” Wooyoung says quietly, knowing there’s not a single possibility to see his parents alive.

Chansung sighs as he stops the vehicle, surprising Wooyoung (and probably everyone else). “We can spare a few seconds. We can’t stop for longer though.” He says and Wooyoung nods, his eyes tearing up slightly as he presses his lips together and turns his head towards the red brick house.

The front door is wide open with some things scattered across the porch and blood stains on the handrails. The view is enough for Wooyoung and he nods, letting Chansung drive further away from the house that held so many precious memories.

The truck turns left and suddenly it halts as Chansung sees a large crowd of zombies ahead of them; they’re blocking their way. Then, he sees a few runners. “3R!” He yells and turns the truck around as quickly as possible, while his team members hold tighter onto the handrails, ready to shoot the undead. “Don’t waste your ammo on roamers and regulars, just aim for the runners!” He commands, speeding up.

The Sergeant checks his rear view mirrors, witnessing the effort of his squad members as they aim for the runners. “Is there another way?” He asks Wooyoung, who looks alerted. He’s still new to this.

“Y-yes!” He proceeds on telling which way to go and after a few dangerous minutes they reach a remote area of the town, stopping the truck behind a huge factory.

“Out!” Chansung commands and everyone leaves the vehicle. The area seems rather quiet as everyone gathers at the back of the truck. “The truck is too loud. We have to go on foot. The police department isn’t too far from here, right?” He glances at the bewildered Wooyoung.

“Um, yeah, we have to pass that park and the building will be there.” Everyone looks at the park; it seems rather big, but it has cover too.

“Okay, we need 2 people staying behind in the truck. Volunteers?” Joon and Seungho raise their hands. “Good. Our earpieces are still working; not much battery left, but it should be enough for this. Stay alert, guys.” The volunteer duo nods. “Make as less noise as possible and even though our guns have silencers, don’t shoot unless it’s inevitable. Knives should come in handy.” The Sergeant says.

Chansung gives a sign and the rest of the group starts moving towards the park quietly. Junho appears on his left, holding a sharp knife in his hand, ready to withstand a sudden attack. At important moments like these, Chansung can see Junho’s second-in-command character coming out. He’s not staying behind, always taking a stance up front. Chansung grins.

There’s Taecyeon and Nichkhun on his right, while the rest of the group walks behind them, with Hyeongdon and Wooyoung in the middle as they have (probably) zero combat skill. The fallen leaves rustle beneath their feet and only roamers are lurking, which makes it easy for the squad to get rid of them.

Chansung can finally see the police department building and, to his disappointment, a group of roamers and regulars blocking the front entrance. He curses inwardly, signing everyone to duck behind the bushes.

“Wooyoung, is there a back entrance?” He whispers.

“Umm...” He thinks a little. “Oh, we can try going in through the garage. I think that area should be safer as it’s away from the street.”

“Okay. Let’s go around then, be careful.” Chansung says and crouches down while taking the lead around the bushes to cross the street in a safer area.

They cross the street quickly, hurrying to the back of the building. There are a few burnt cars, giving them cover, but when the group runs around the corner, Chansung stops immediately as a small group of zombies is blocking the garage door, too. There’s no going back. They have to make their way by force.

“Kill them!” Chansung commands and his squad moves carefully, shooting and stabbing roamers and regulars. The only relief is that there are no runners.

They move in a circle and reach the door, trying to open it but to no avail. Chansung’s about to kick it when Junho touches his shoulder and Chansung looks at him. “I got this, just cover me.” Junho takes something sharp out of his pocket and kneels down in front of the lock. He pushes the thing inside.

“What, are you a part time burglar?” Chansung asks, while shooting the zombies.

“Maybe,” Junho chuckles.

“Hey, could you maybe work faster?!” Hyeongdon demands and earns a death glare from Chansung. “There’s more and more of them coming!” He yelps, justifying his rudeness.

Chansung sees that, but rushing someone won’t help. They still have some bullets left and as long as there are no runners in sight, they can handle this.

“Just... a... moment...” Junho bites on his lower lip, trying to hack the lock.

Click.

Hyeongdon doesn’t wait and grabs the handle, almost making Junho fall over, but Chansung catches him. “Hey, you idiot! Don’t-” There’s a scream coming from the inside and Chansung leaves Junho, rushing into the garage.

There’s a roamer on top of the technician and Chansung shoots it automatically. The rest of the squad pours inside the building and closes the door, separating them from the undead. Hyeongdon rolls the dead body off himself and sits on the floor, staring at his arm.

He got bit.

Wooyoung hurries towards him and kneels, looking at his colleague’s arm, stained with blood. “We can do something about this, right?” He asks as his voice trembles slightly.

Everyone keeps quiet, letting this moment sink in deeper. The garage is empty, an unknown number of zombies is hitting the door from the outside, Hyeongdon’s eyes are wide in terror and Wooyoung’s looking for an answer in Chansung’s face. What a shitty outcome.

“None. All you can do is kill him while he’s still human.” Chansung states coldly.

“No!” He yells. “There’s gotta be something...”

“Wooyoung, he’ll turn in about a minute. That’s how it always happens.”

“You- you can’t kill me. I can get rid of my arm or something, right?!” Hyeongdon pleads, looking completely desperate.

“It doesn’t work like that. Once you’re bit, the virus is in your system. Momentarily.” Chansung looks at Hyeongdon. He can only blame himself now for rushing in without a thought. He brought this upon himself and Chansung doesn’t feel remorse for someone who acts so stupid. He feels sorry for Wooyoung though. The guy seems crushed. However, you can’t get stronger if you can’t accept reality. “Fresh ones turn into runners. Minjae, Namyong – hold him.”

“Wait, no! I’m fine! I’m fine..!” Hyeongdon opposes, but the strength is leaving his body and he can’t resist, when strong arms press him down onto the floor.

Wooyoung looks down at his knees, fighting his feelings. He has never seen someone else turn, especially a person he has known for a while. Hyeongdon might have been an ass sometimes, but he took care of Wooyoung when he started working at the facility. “Can’t... Can’t we just... Release him, outside...?” He asks quietly, still looking at his hands on his knees.

“Wooyoung,” Chansung squats down in front of him. “You don’t want him wandering around and possibly killing more people, right?” He says calmly as Wooyoung stares into his eyes. He shakes his head.

Hyeongdon stops moving and his body turns stiff as all eyes are directed at him. Changmin hurries to hold onto his legs.

_Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two..._

Hyeongdon releases a painful moan as his eyes open up, revealing hazy pupils. The runner starts thrashing, trying to bite those who are holding him down and it takes a lot of strength to keep him steady, but Chansung’s men are used to this. Wooyoung just stares blankly at the unfolding scene as Chansung stands up and walks over to the zombie’s head. The Sergeant doesn’t prolong the agony; he takes his knife and stabs the undead man’s head. Everything goes calm and quiet, except for the commotion outside. His men push the body aside and cover it with a piece of clothing, found on the tool table. Wooyoung remains kneeling, but no one bothers him. He needs a few moments.

Chansung looks around the empty garage; it’s not big, only 4 cars fit inside. The light comes in through small windows near the ceiling. A red canister catches his attention, so Chansung opens it and smiles. Gasoline. At least one good thing in here. He hands it to Himchan and walks over to the door, leading to the main building. Chansung stares at it, concern in his eyes as he notices a red X sprayed on the door. He moves carefully to take a glance over the tiny square door window.

“Shit.” He says quietly. His men have an idea what made him curse and he confirms it, walking closer to the circle. “The corridor’s full of roamers. It’s too dangerous to make our way through them: The corridor’s not big enough to launch a proper attack.” Chansung rubs the back of his neck, staring at the ceiling.

“We can’t go back through the front entrance either...” Taecyeon notes.

“And we can’t go back empty handed when it’s so close...” Nichkhun says, as everyone else remains quiet.

“You could try the air duct...” Wooyoung says, already on his feet. His face is still lifeless, but whatever inner conversation he has had with himself, it made him look determined too. “However, it wouldn’t hold us all. I’d say two people at the most; having in mind you’ll be bringing back a few bags of heavy ammo.”

“Right...” Chansung crosses his arms on his chest, looking at the small crowd in front of him. “I need someone light, small, quick, good at close combat and capable of picking locks.” His eyes stop on Junho’s face. “You seem to fit the description, since none of my guys has had lock picking 101 curriculum back in the academy.”

“What can I say, it’s my hobby.” Junho smirks.

“Well, it sure came in handy today.” Chansung motions towards the air duct vent above the table. “How good are you at this hobby?” He looks at Junho as the latter’s following him.

“Good enough to go on this mission.” Junho grins. “Won’t your squad members be mad you chose me instead of them? Psychology and stuff.” He asks quietly, once they remove the air duct cover.

Chansung looks away from his squad, standing a bit further and looks into the dusty air duct. “No, they’re smart guys.” He notices Junho’s facial expression soften. That’s right, his team wasn’t very united. He has his worries too regarding Chansung’s squad. Junho has trust issues. “Hey,” Chansung pats Junho’s shoulder, “You’re a part of my squad now too.” Junho smiles at him and nods lightly.

“By the way, I’m not small. I’m efficient.” Chansung chuckles at Junho’s remark. No man likes to be called small.

Wooyoung comes closer to them, explaining how to get to the basement. They have to crawl through the air duct above the corridor full of zombies, then they will reach another corridor, leading to the staircase and there they will find the door to the basement, where the gun and ammo storage is located.

“Let’s hope everything goes according to the plan.” Wooyoung says.

“It will. Just wait for us here and we will get out of this place with a blast.” Chansung assures him. “Taec, is your earpiece working?”

“Sure, boss.” He winks and Chansung shows fake disgust at that tacky action. It’s probably slightly insensitive to joke around when someone has just died, but there’s no other way to lighten up the gloomy atmosphere. Wooyoung looks really sad, even though he’s trying to hide it.

“Wooyoung,” the latter looks up at Chansung standing on the table, “You’re stronger than you think you are. Don’t forget that.”

“I won’t,” he replies with a light smile on his pale face.

“Okay, I’m going in first.” Chansung pulls himself up into the air duct and Junho follows his suit.

Hell knows when the air conditioning stopped working there, but judging from the amount of dust, it’s been a while. Chansung wishes he had taken face masks, because it’s really tough not to sneeze with all the dust particles flying into his nose. The moaning beneath them intensifies as the roamers become aware of their presence and that sound isn’t comforting to say the least. The air duct is around 70 centimetres high, so at least there’s enough space to crawl on all fours instead of slithering like a snake.

It feels like ages though as they try to be as careful as possible. The ventilation construction doesn’t seem to be very strong and perhaps even 2 people is too much for it to hold. All they can rely on right now is their fortune. What a mystical thing to rely on.

Suddenly, Chansung feels movement and hears a creaking sound. “Shit, we have to hurry.” He doesn’t care about being as quiet as possible – they have all the unwanted attention bellow them. He crawls faster, Junho following him and just when there’s so little left to the end of this air duct, a terrifying sound of metal screeching reaches his ears.

Chansung looks back and sees Junho sliding back into the lurched opening and into the arms of the hungry crowd. He turns around swiftly for his height and manages to grab Junho’s hands, while they’re still holding onto the edge of the broken air duct.

Chansung pushes his feet against the walls of the metal construction to gain leverage as Junho tries to kick off the zombies aiming at his legs. The intense look in Junho’s eyes sends more adrenaline into Chansung’s veins and he uses all his might to pull up Junho at one go.

His muscles tense, every particle burning with thrilling sensation as he manages to pull Junho up and drag the latter on top of him where it’s safe. The back of Chansung’s head hits the cold metal, trying to catch his breath. Then he feels Junho doing the same, breathing into his neck. Chansung also feels Junho’s hand sprawled across his chest, able to feel Chansung’s rapid heartbeat. That moment he feels vulnerable as if his heart is being shown on a public display.

Chansung’s fingers clutch onto Junho’s back, the material of his jumpsuit feeling rough. It’s been a while since he has been that close with someone, maybe that’s why it affects him so much now. The warmth of someone else’s body against his in such an enclosed space, that breath ghosting over his neck – all Chansung’s senses seem to be spiked up by such simple things and not the zombies reaching for the air duct.

There wasn’t a single time when Chansung would have looked at one of his men in that way; despite the fact he did prefer men. No one probably even knew about his personal preferences and he was confident and smart enough not to mix work with pleasure. And now, at a moment like this, Chansung feels lost as he breathes in the scent of Junho’s hair. It’s indescribably nice and comforting. He could lie like this all day.

“Chansung, are you okay?!” Taecyeon’s loud voice rips through Chansung’s earpiece. “Should we come in into the corridor?!”

Chansung gulps before answering; now Junho’s right above him, looking into his eyes. “No, we’re good. That one section was wobbly, but the construction seems to be stable now. We’re almost there.”

“Got it.” Taecyeon responds with a relief.

“Thanks.” Junho expresses his gratitude quietly.

“Are you hurt?” Chansung asks, being sucked in by Junho’s stare from above. Junho shakes his head and they move around from their previous position. Chansung sits back against the wall as he lets Junho through first. “Efficient, you say... That’s one way to put it.”

“What’s another way?” Junho asks, looking back. His fringe is slightly damp from all the sweat on his forehead.

“Intense.” Junho’s eyes slowly fall on his white knuckles as Chansung’s staring at his profile, noticing the corner of Junho’s lips curling up slightly.

“Okay, let’s move before this thing collapses completely.” He urges Junho and soon they abandon the air duct and the big gap in it, with the zombies staring at it like at a food dispenser machine.

When they jump on the floor, they feel relatively safe again. At least the floor won’t collapse like that piece of metal. The corridor is unaffected by time and Chansung notices a red X sprayed on the door, leading to the corridor full of roamers. Someone must have herded them like sheep in there, because as far as they can see, the rooms are empty. There’s another inconvenient thought and Chansung dismisses it, hoping these people hadn’t been still alive when they were locked up there. It’d be just too cruel to rob someone off a chance to survive. Maybe they didn’t have it to begin with and Chansung’s thought is long gone, because burdening his racing mind with heavy thoughts won’t do any good. Where’s Taecyeon with his dumb humour when you need him?

“Seems safe,” Junho says as they walk towards the door leading to the stairway.

“Yeah, just don’t relax too much. For all we know there might be another herd behind that door.”

“Such a pessimist, tch.” Junho smirks. “Where’s your joy of life?”

“I don’t know, a zombie ate it.” They chuckle both, stopping beside the door.

“Ah, I miss good food. What’s your favourite?” Junho places the sharp object into the lock. Someone made sure all doors were locked. Perhaps it’s for the better.

“Everything that isn’t canned food.” Chansung takes a step back.

“You will change your mind when there’s no canned food left.” Junho looks at him, successfully unlocking the door.

“Well, who’s the pessimist here?”

“Me? No way.” He stands up, holding onto the door knob.

“My intuition says we won’t reach that horrible stage, there will be a happy ending soon.”

“And how’s your intuition been so far?”

“Rotten.” Chansung smiles, playing along.

There’s a moment of silence as Chansung points his gun at the door. He nods to Junho and the latter presses the door handle while holding a gun in his free hand. Chansung hurries past him, quickly assessing the situation looking up and down, ready to shoot anyone coming at him. Junho does the same and they wait a little, listening to their surroundings.

“Clear.” Chansung concludes. “Let’s go to the basement.”

“Should be fun.” Junho says, making Chansung snort. Twisted sense of humour.

They walk down the stairs and a crease of worry appears on the Sergeant’s face, when he sees a red X sprayed on the basement door. There’s not even a tiny window or a gap to make it possible for them to see if there is someone in there. This could go bad or very bad. Once again, he has to make a hard decision.

“Well, we didn’t get here to go back empty-handed, did we?” He looks at Junho, who’s ready to work on that lock, already down on his one knee.

“Hard times call for desperate measures.” Junho agrees. “What’s the plan, Sergeant?”

“Hack that lock, open the door and, depending on the situation, come over to me. We can always go back to the corridor if we get overwhelmed.” Chansung walks up the stairs, a few meters away from Junho, ready to cover him.

Junho exhales and starts working his magic on the lock. That obscurity of what’s behind the door makes Chansung frown; it used to be so much easier going on special operations, because usually they had a plan and a clear vision of what might be coming for them. This, however, is like being robbed off of a few vital senses. No matter how many times you do this job, it still brings thrill. You can pretend it’s easy, but these feelings you have within, they’re human and you can’t fake it when it comes to facing them inside your head.

Fear is the strongest one. It takes time to get the hang of it and control it to some extent, but it always strikes you when you expect it the least. Chansung has seen many people succumb to it, even much older professionals. Everyone has a trigger.

Looking at Junho, it seems like this situation doesn’t bother him that much. Chansung doesn’t know what Junho is capable of or what he’s thinking, but he seems to be pretty confident and calm. Moreover, it doesn’t just look like an act. So, Chansung can’t help but wonder, what’s Junho’s trigger?

Before he can ponder any more, Junho opens the door.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks @egle0702 for editing!

There’s a moment of silence before a rotten smell reaches Chansung’s nostrils and a menacing echo full of low growls and moans spreads from the darkness of the basement. Junho quickly joins Chansung on top of the stairs, both waiting for the inevitable. At least they’re dealing with the roamers; Chansung finds solace in that thought.

When they finally start pouring out of the basement, there seems to be no end to them. Just who and how got them in there? Or were they hiding in hope of being saved? Chansung wouldn’t know. He just does his best at aiming his gun and shooting their brains out with Junho doing the same beside him. There’s already a huge pile of dead bodies and some zombies stumble over them; however, they keep on pilling up like sand in an hourglass.

“I’m almost out of bullets,” Junho says as he shoots down another one.

“Me too.” With those words his gun stops firing. Seconds later, Junho’s in the same situation. “Okay, don’t let them get you. We can do this.” Junho nods.

The ones that manage to get upstairs are met with harsh kicks and if the fall doesn’t kill them, Junho makes sure to end their lives with a knife. Chansung can’t help, but admire how ferocious Junho looks, like a wild animal, but with a sense of control. How come he was the second-in-command with skills and a character like that? He has leader qualities.

They fight for the longest time kicking, stabbing, and breaking the dull bones just by using sheer muscle strength. Chansung himself starts to feel like a wild wolf, giving no second thoughts when it comes to defence. He notices Junho kill off the last zombie and they both look at each other, breathing heavily.

“Good job,” Chansung says, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. “It’s quite unbelievable that you weren’t a Team Leader. Were you really second-in-command?”

Junho wipes his knife into one of the zombie’s clothes. “They wanted me to be the Team Leader, but I didn’t want to be one.” He states calmly, surprising Chansung.

“Why?”

“It’s just... Maybe I wasn’t ready for it yet. Too much responsibility, I guess. That’s probably a cowardly thing to say.”

“And yet you’re still alive and kicking ass. That’s not something a coward would do. Though I must admit your decision is weird.”

“Yeah, perhaps my squad could have been united like yours and they would still be alive...” Junho looks down briefly, bringing a stinging feeling in the Sergeant’s chest. Junho has regrets and, obviously, he feels guilty. Each squad is different and a lot depends on the person leading it. Chansung comes closer to him.

“We all have our lessons to learn... And they aren’t always easy.” He touches Junho’s shoulder for a moment, making the latter look at him. “It wasn’t easy for us too. For me, it wasn’t a hard decision because I don’t have any close relatives, however, for the rest of my men it was a different story.” Chansung pulls back. “We all have sacrifices to make. It’s just how life is. Now, let’s go get those guns we fought so hard for.” Junho nods and they make their way towards the darkness.

Chansung motions to stop as an odd sound comes from the basement, but no one’s coming out. They turn on the flashlights, while stepping away from the daylight. The floor is slimy, probably covered in thick blood and whatnot. Clinking sound is getting closer and Chansung cannot remember when it was the last time he felt so much tension just by listening to a sound. The smell here is atrocious too, making it hard to concentrate.

Following down the corridor, they reach a corner and it seems like whatever’s causing the sound is right behind it. Chansung gets his knife ready and takes the important step, just to look at the scene in front of him. A frown appears between his eyebrows.

There’s the door leading to the weaponry room and a radiator with two children hand-cuffed to it. Chansung feels disgusted, seeing a few heavily damaged bodies beneath their little legs. Someone fed those little girls before they fled the building or died in the corridor. They start moaning and reaching their little fingers towards Junho and Chansung. Their hunger must be insane as one of them lurches forward so hard, her frail wrist is damaged by the sharp handcuff and her hand breaks apart, the little zombie girl finally becoming free. Chansung doesn’t hesitate anymore as he catches the child by the hair and pierces her head with the knife. Junho takes care of the second one, still attached to the radiator.

“You okay?” Junho looks back at Chansung.

“Yeah.” He motions towards the door. “Let’s get this over with.”

Junho uses his lock picking skills once again, hoping this is the last one he has to deal with for now. Chansung stares at the door, ready to grab everything he finds in there. There’s also a bad premonition that it might be already empty, however, Chansung bats those thoughts away. They had to deal with a lot of crap to get there, so it better doesn’t disappoint them. They still have to go back through the zombie corridor somehow.

The lock clicks and Junho stands up, while Chansung gets in a position to cover him in case there are hidden zombies too. He nods and Junho opens the door, but there’s nothing happening and, with a relief, they enter the ammo temple. Chansung’s jaw drops slightly when he sees the amount of guns scattered across the table, hung on the walls and placed neatly on the shelves. “Holy shit.” He hears an excited Junho and notices him holding onto something long.

“What’s that?” Chansung inquires with curiosity.

“That, Mr. Sergeant,” Junho unsheathes a perfectly sculpted sword and its blade reflects the flashlight, “...is my kind of a toy.” Chansung arches an eyebrow.

“You’re familiar with sword fighting?”

“Lock picking, needles, knives, swords... Let’s just say I’m a cold weapon type of guy.”

“Quite crafty, huh?” Chansung touches the blade. The steel is exceptionally well forged. “What were the odds we would find a weapon like this in here?”

“Right? Destiny.” Junho agrees and attaches the sword sheath onto his back. It fits perfectly.

“It’s hard to find a skilled soldier like you these days.” Chansung chuckles, while stuffing their bags with all sorts of weapons. It’d be nice to have a cart, but beggars can’t be choosers and they will have to deal with all that weight on their bodies until they reach Chansung’s squad.

“I’d say it’s a miracle to find a full squad like yours these days.” Junho smiles, zipping up a bag. “Seems like that will be all.”

“Good. Let’s head back to the guys.”

They walk back through the pile of dead corpses, heavy bags putting a significant weight on their bodies. They’re quite exhausted already after fighting so many zombies, but in the end it’s all worth it. Also, having someone like Junho on his team with great close combat skills always comes in handy. Especially when you’re out of bullets.

There’s a red X in front of them as they stand in front of the door that separates them from a bunch of zombies, and Chansung grins at Junho. “Want a kebab for dinner?” Junho raises his eyebrow, staring at Chansung questioningly. “I found a couple of grenades.”

“Sweet.” Junho grins too.

“Taecyeon?” Chansung contacts his squad member through an earpiece.

“Finally, we were starting to get worried.” There’s a hint of relief in Taec’s voice.

“Stay back from the door. I’ll throw in a grenade through that opening in the air duct to blow the zombies’ brains out.”

“Got it.” Taecyeon replies.

Junho stays away with the bags, while Chansung grabs a grenade and takes a good look at the air duct, calculating how far the grenade should go in. He then presses on his earpiece and warns Taecyeon to cover their ears. Chansung removes the safety pin and throws the grenade into the broken air duct where the tiny, but powerful weapon is supposed to drop on the zombie-infested corridor floor. Chansung runs quickly to where Junho is staying and just when he ducks and covers his ears, there’s a loud explosion. It feels like the walls and the ground are shaking, there’s dust everywhere and when Chansung looks back, he notices the door is gone.

“Let me go first, I’ll finish the remaining ones quickly with my sword.” Junho offers.

“Well, if you volunteer...” Chansung doesn’t object.

There’s a pile of limbs in the corridor, some of the zombies are still moaning, but there’s no real threat from dismembered corpses. Chansung notices the rest of his team on the other side of the corridor, making their way towards him. Taecyeon reaches the Sergeant first.

“How’s the situation outside?” Chansung asks.

“The crowd of the undead is increasing and with that explosion we probably got even more attention.”

“I guess we will have to find another way.” Chansung says and turns around with everyone following him to the corridor that leads to the staircase. “We probably should head to the rooftop to assess our options.”

The door to the rooftop is unlocked and when they go outside, they see dark clouds above their heads. “It’s going to rain soon.” Nichkhun notes. “It’d be great to leave this place with dry clothes.”

“Yeah, catching a cold would suck.” Seulong agrees while Chansung is looking around with the rest of the squad.

The building is 4 floors tall and for the most part it’s surrounded by zombies. Chansung stares at another horde approaching and purses his lips. If they are going to get out of here, they have to do it quickly. Taecyeon runs over to him with a toothy grin on his face. He’d better be bringing good news.

“On the other side, there’s a fire ladder. It’s a bit rusty, but it’s the only chance to get out of here.” He delivers the good news and Chansung pats his colleague’s shoulder.

They walk over to the said ladder and Chansung leans over to see what they’re dealing with here. The ladder looks quite fishy, but, like Taecyeon said, it’s the only way. There are not that many zombies over there as well, which makes using the ladder an easier choice. Everyone gathers up around him.

“Let’s distribute guns evenly for everyone. The guys who are still waiting for their turn down the ladder will cover those who might be attacked once they’re down. Taecyeon will go first; I will be the last one to leave this rooftop. Nichkhun, did you contact Joon and Seungho?”

“Yeah, they’re on their way here.”

“Good. Let’s go.” Chansung says and Taecyeon goes first.

The Sergeant feels the first drops of rain on his face, while shooting some roamers below the ladder. The rest of his team does the same, making it clear for Taecyeon to land safely. After him go Nichkhun, Minjae, Seulong, Junho, Wooyoung, Himchan and Namyong. It starts raining faster when Changmin’s turn comes up and as he goes down, there’s an alarming creek in the ladder, which makes him stop midway. Everyone looks at him concerned.

“Hey, drop your bag, we will catch it.” Taecyeon says and Changmin does so to become lighter. “Chansung, maybe you should do the same?”

“Yeah.” He says and drops the bag over the edge when Changmin lands safely.

The truck finally shows up, but with it more zombies show up too. Chansung has no time to spare as he holds onto the ladder. He’s heavier than Changmin and even without the bag the ladder seems to be wobbly and unstable. “First the air duct, now this. Just my fucking luck.” Chansung mumbles under his nose, moving down carefully, while his team fights off the zombies.

“Runner!” Someone yells and Chansung’s heartbeat spikes up.

He’s almost 3 floors down when it happens. Everything seems like a slow motion movie to him. When the ladder falls apart and he falls down with it, Chansung’s not so sure anymore about surviving this. His body is in a sharp pain and he feels a warm liquid dripping over his eye; everything all of a sudden seems so surreal. Chansung sees his squad members fighting off the undead and a zombie head falling right in front of his face. The way its neck is cut looks sharp, clearly made by a beautifully forged blade. Then, everything goes black.

 

***

The pleasant warmth inside the car is making Chansung yawn as his mother looks back at him with a smile. He smiles back and rubs his eyes, quite exhausted. It’s already dark and the sound of rain drumming against the car roof makes it harder for him to stay awake. Chansung’s eager to come back home; this summer trip lasted for almost 2 weeks. He’s so ready to hit his comfortable bed and play some video games.

“Are we there yet?” He asks, feeling drowsier and drowsier.

“Soon, sweetheart.” His father answers, fixing his glasses behind the steering wheel. “And mom will cook us something nice when we’re back, right?” That makes Chansung look expectantly at his mother, while his dad’s face is decorated with a smart grin.

“Can I get a banana milkshake?” His voice suddenly feels livelier.

“Only if you promise to give mommy a kiss.” She smiles back at him, putting a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear.

Chansung leans forward quickly, ready to plant a kiss on his mother’s cheek when his attention is caught by the headlights, going straight into their car. Then there’s an indescribable sound and everything’s gone.

***

Chansung’s eyes are wide open, his head is pounding and he feels lost for a moment, finding himself in a dim bedroom lit by candlelight. He hasn’t had that dream in a while and he wishes he could erase it permanently from his memory. Chansung’s vision is a bit blurry, but he sees an IV drip attached to his arm and when he tries to raise his head, he feels like he’s about to puke. Chansung groans, his head feeling as heavy as a bucket of water.

“He’s awake.” Taecyeon’s voice reaches his ears. Chansung turns his head slowly to see his subordinate standing beside the bed. There’s Nichkhun and Junho beside him and seconds later the rest of the men fill in the room. “How are you?” He sits down on the edge of the bed.

“Still alive, I guess.” Chansung raises his hand to touch the epicentre of the pounding on a side of his head. He can feel a few stitches. “Is everyone alright?”

“You’re like an inflated ball right now and you ask about the others?” Nichkhun chuckles. “Everyone’s fine, we managed to get out of there before shit hit the fan.”

“I must say we barely made it, however, we got really lucky with this samurai dude beside us.” Taecyeon makes everyone look at Junho, who looks slightly uncomfortable being at the centre of attention.

“Piece of cake,” he says shrugging, making some of the men chuckle.

“Great,” Chansung smiles and then looks back at Taecyeon. “How long have I been out?”

“Since yesterday.” Taecyeon removes the IV drip needle from Chansung’s vein and puts a plaster on it.

“Wow.”

“Yeah... You really got us worried.” Taecyeon says and Chansung realises just how important he is for these men. All of them put their faith in Chansung, they followed his lead and when the trouble stroke, Chansung was the one who needed saving. “We probably should stay here for a bit longer since your concussion is pretty bad.”

“We will see about that. Okay, enough about me, go back to what you were doing. Check the perimeter.” Chansung dismisses his squad and everyone leaves but Junho. “Hero of the day.”

“Come on, stop it.” Junho scratches the back of his head.

“Can you grab me a bucket or something, just in case?” Chansung moves up slowly while Junho finds a huge vase and places it beside Chansung’s bed. “Classy.” His feet touch the floor as he looks down at it. No vomit is coming up.

“Are you sure you want to move around?” Junho comes closer.

“I have to test my condition.” Chansung stands up, but he does it too fast and he feels extremely dizzy. Junho catches him in time, his arms wrapping tight around Chansung’s torso. The Sergeant’s still lightheaded, his face pressed into Junho’s shoulder, trying to stabilise whatever is happening with his shaken brain.

“I think you failed the test.” Junho’s voice sounds lower than usual, or maybe it just feels like that while being so close. Chansung pulls back slowly, holding onto Junho’s muscular arms. Junho’s skin glistens in this dim light and Chansung just stares at him only to realise that’s beyond the common courtesy line. Again.

“Sorry, it’s just really hard to concentrate without falling down.” Chansung takes a step back. “I really need to use a bathroom.”

“It’s fine. The bathroom’s just around the corner.” Junho’s expression is indescribable. “Do you need help with walking?” He inquires, moving closer to Chansung, but the latter waves his arm refusing the help. Maybe it’s just his head playing tricks, but the atmosphere feels thick somehow.

“I’ll be fine now, thanks.” Chansung turns around and makes his way to the bathroom, where a few candles are lit.

Chansung shuts the door, locks it and then stares at the mirror. God, he looks like a mess. But there’s a bigger mess within him. Why now? Chansung leans forward, looking at his spooky reflection. It doesn’t even make sense; feeling like this about someone he has just met? And in circumstances like this? Maybe he just needs to let some steam off; he hasn’t had sex in months. That must be it.

Chansung empties his bladder first and then sits down on the toilet, ignoring his own reflection. He will do it and all of this tension will be gone; he’s sure of it. Chansung grabs whatever lotion is resting on the counter and wets his fingers, placing them around his erection. It’s painful, but it feels good. His hand is moving quickly, fingers grasping tightly, bringing him closer to the edge as he bites on his own lip, stopping any sounds that might come from his mouth. It’s kind of shameful that he finishes himself so fast, but what’s even more shameful that when he’s done, he realises that the face he was imagining while pleasuring himself was the face he was running away from just seconds ago.

The painful pounding in his head becomes stronger.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks @Egle0702 for editing!

It’s been a few days since the head-splitting accident. During that time Chansung mostly slept. Nothing like nausea and headache to lock someone to bed. This morning, however, Chansung finally feels like he can do more than just sit or sleep. The worst part of the concussion is over.

The Sergeant stands up and stretches his arms up, the action giving a great satisfaction as there’s no more dizziness. He walks downstairs to find some of his men chatting casually and then greeting him as soon as Chansung enters their vision.

“How’s the patient doing?” Nichkhun asks, bringing a cup of tea to Chansung. Nichkhun’s smile is so bright, it makes Chansung feel at ease whenever he sees it.

“Much better. I think we won’t stay here any longer.” Chansung takes the cup and sips the tea. “What’s that? Mint leaves?”

“It sure is. From my secret stash.” He winks at Chansung playfully and he can’t help but chuckle.

“Quality stuff, huh?”

“You know where the goodies are; hit me up anytime.”

“Can you get any cornier?” Namyong interrupts, passing by.

“Do I hear jealousy?” Nichkhun says laughing and watches Namyong disappear behind the corner, noticing a small grin on the latter’s face. “Are you sure about leaving soon?” His face quickly changes into a serious one, clearly taking Chansung’s condition into consideration. “You know we don’t have to hurry anywhere.” Nichkhun probably hints at Junho, who’s responsible for luring everyone into this trip.

“I’m fine. We’re leaving tomorrow, so spread the word and prepare for the trip.” Chansung gives the empty cup back to Nichkhun. “I’m going to get some fresh air.”

“Alright, Sergeant.” Chansung grins and pats Nichkhun’s shoulder, leaving the house.

It’s a bit windy outside, but the autumn chill feels pleasant. Chansung frowns when he thinks winter is around the corner and surviving through it will require more resources and strength. Their coming to the southern part of the country is probably a good idea and there’s no need to halt this trip any longer.

He stops in his track when he sees a half-naked Junho, removing laundry off the rope. He doesn’t see him as Chansung’s a bit further, looking at him from behind. There’s a warm tingle in Chansung stomach when Junho grabs a turtleneck and raises his arms high, turning sideways and pulling the black material over his head. Chansung’s eyes dart to Junho’s impressive abdomen, pretty sure it’d feel firm and warm if he had a chance to touch it.

Chansung quickly regains his composure, when Junho pulls the rest of his garment down and rolls the turtle neck down from his face. His eyes light up when he notices Chansung, giving him a wide smile. “You’re up!” they move towards each other, smiles plastered over their faces. Chansung feels like an idiot for some reason. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better. We’re moving tomorrow.” Chansung stops in front of Junho.

“Really? Tomorrow?” Junho looks slightly confused.

“What, you don’t want to?”

“No no, it’s not that...” Chansung waits for a more elaborate explanation as Junho glances down briefly and then looks back at him. “I was worried about you. I mean, your condition. Concussion is a rather annoying thing...” He glances at Chansung’s stitches, fidgeting slightly. “You should get those removed. Wait.” Junho fishes something out of his pockets. Then, he looks up at Chansung. “If you could bend down slightly... You’re tall.”

Chansung chuckles heartily. “Sorry, kinda forgot about that.” He bends lower and supports his weight with one hand leaning on the tree behind Junho.

“Efficient, remember?” Junho moves closer to Chansung’s face.

“How can I forget?” He looks at Junho’s face and feels heat radiating from him. That closeness is making Chansung feel drowsy and comfortable.  
Junho’s slender fingers touch Chansung’s forehead and he closes his eyes, enjoying the sensation until he feels discomfort of the stitches being removed. “Sorry,” Junho says gently, noticing a frown on Chansung’s face.

It ends way too quickly and Chansung’s forced to abandon that warmth as he reclines back to a regular standing position. “You should go and disinfect it, just in case.”

“How’s your own wound?” Chansung glances at the bandage slightly peeking from the hem of Junho’s turtle neck.

“Huh?” Junho looks slightly surprised. “Oh, it’s getting better. Don’t worry.”

“Really? It’s taking quite a long time to recover for you.” Chansung reaches his hand towards Junho’s neck and when he’s about to touch it, Junho’s hand catches his, seemingly almost absentmindedly.

“My artery was damaged, it’s a miracle I’m alive.” He explains quickly. “I’m not taking any chances getting it infected until it’s fully healed... So...” Junho’s fingers squeeze Chansung’s and after seeing the taller male’s calm face Junho releases the latter’s hand, as if showing trust.

“Well then, have a speedy recovery, Junho.” Chansung pulls back and at that moment there’s a voice behind them.

“Hey, Sergeant, I heard you were up and as fresh as a daisy.” Chansung turns around and sees Wooyoung, grinning widely. “While you were sleeping, I made something.” Wooyoung looks eager to show that something to Chansung.

“Really? What is it?” He arches his eyebrow.

“Come and I’ll show you.” His mischievous smile intrigues Chansung and the latter glances back at the puzzled Junho, excusing himself.  
They walk towards the truck. “I’m a genius technician with a few side hobbies, you know.” Wooyoung drapes his arm over Chansung’s shoulder unexpectedly, glancing back at Junho and giving him a wink.

“Are you high or something?” Seeing Wooyoung so chipper is a bit unusual, knowing his friend died not too long ago. The latter just laughs it off, puzzling Chansung even more.

“Why are you asking? Do you like seeing depressed men?” Chansung rolls his eyes at Wooyoung.

“No, it’s just... You seem different. Are you sure you’re not having a PTSD or something? I don’t need you going on a rage killing spree in the middle of the night.” They stop at the back of the truck and Wooyoung looks serious for a moment.

“I have different coping mechanisms.” His smile seems genuine this time. “And I’m not the type to dwell on bad experiences. I like moving forward more than pitying myself and doing nothing about it. I’m a chipper guy actually, a bit sassy, but yeah.” He then leans closer, with an overly serious expression. “And I’m not going to kill you in the middle of the night. Who will save my untrained ass?”

“If you say so...” Chansung sighs. The technician looks very entertaining yet mysterious, but it takes time to get to know someone. So far he has seen just one side of Wooyoung and now that he’s seeing him being so lively, it relieves and burdens him at the same time. He’s quite a character.

“So,” Wooyoung takes something from the truck. “Here it is.” He’s holding a hand-made device in his hands, clearly very proud of it as he grins, waiting for Chansung to talk. It’s no bigger than a cell-phone, but it’s thicker.

“And this is..?”

“Zombie catcher.” Wooyoung says and Chansung raises an eyebrow. “Basically, it’s a heat sensor for zombies.” Wooyoung stands on the Sergeant’s left, turns the device on and directs it at the people in the yard. “You know how body heat sensors work, right?” Chansung nods. “I made this device and changed up a few things, so it would show only zombies. Their bodies are not hot enough, but they’re not completely cold. They couldn’t move if they were frozen, yeah?”

“That’s true.” Chansung bites on his lip, staring at the dark screen.

“Their temperature is different, so I had to figure out how to make the device sense them. And after a few days, while you were sleeping, I finally managed to get it down. I altered this thing so it would show only zombies. That’s why you see an empty screen even though I’m pointing it at your team members. The same goes for animals. If you see a dot on this screen, it means you’re about to kiss a zombie.”

“And we don’t want that.”

“Right? So, this device won’t mislead us. In times when we can’t see much, like a wall or simply night time, we just have to point this sensor and it will tell us how many zombies there are. No living humans involved. Pretty cool, huh?” Wooyoung looks up at Chansung as if waiting for a cookie.

“I have to say you’ve done a good job while I was out of it. Can you make more?”

“Sure, I just have to get more parts to make more.”

“Hmm...” Chansung nods, staring at the device. “So we will have to go shopping, it seems.”

“Yeah. Whenever we get the chance.” Wooyoung touches Chansung’s arm. “Any electronics shop will do. We don’t have to go out of our way.”

“Alright. I will see what we can manage.”

“Cool.” Wooyoung smiles, something odd lingering behind his eyes. For the meantime, Chansung decides to not question Wooyoung’s peculiar nature. As long as he’s not depressed, everything will be just fine.

 

By the evening, Chansung feels good enough to try out the device he got from Wooyoung all by himself. From what he has heard, there haven’t been that may roamers around and this area seems to be relatively safe. Of course they could stay here longer, but something tells Chansung that they have to get moving. Whatever awaits them at the end of this trip, will have an impact on everyone. At least he expects that and hopes it to be a positive experience.

Taecyeon offers to go together, but Chansung objects, saying it’s not necessary. They have binoculars and sniper rifles to watch him from afar anyway. He’s safe with a team like this behind his back.

The grass sounds crunchy, coloured by red sunrays. If not for occasional dead bodies lying around further away, it’d be a pretty nice autumn evening scenery. Now it’s just macabre.

Chansung walks at a normal pace with a gun hung over his shoulder. He makes his way towards the bushes and stops, seeing two dots appear on the zombie sensor screen. “I can manage this.” He mumbles and takes a few steps back, listening to the moaning sounds as the roamers probably have already noticed him.

Two men appear out of the bushes – one with no arms and the other one in a rather decent condition. Chansung points his gun and kills the better looking one first. The Sergeant doesn’t waste any ammo on the armless one as he kicks it and crushes his head with a foot. Only then he notices that both of them are wearing the same uniforms as him.

They must have died together. Probably protecting someone. Chansung squats, looking at them.

There’s a burning sensation in Chansung’s chest as he thinks about his own squad and how lucky they are to still be together. Like a powerful fist. Not only that, they got new people too. A highly skilled soldier and a genius technician. It’s like he’s won a lottery with an addition like that.

He will do anything to protect all of his men, even if it’d cost him his own life. To Chansung, they’re not only his comrades and team members, they’re his friends too.

Chansung stands up and pays his respects to the two fallen soldiers. Then, he turns on his heel and proceeds walking back home.

 

His body feels slightly rigid after being lazy for a few days. Chansung’s room is lit only by the moonlight when he gets out of the bed to do some exercises. Once in a while, he gets this craving to do some exercises before falling asleep. Now even more, to warm up his muscles and refresh them a bit. He needs to prepare for the trip, even if exercising takes 30 minutes or more.

He lays a cloth on the floor and starts off with some stretching exercises and it feels great to sense the tension in his sleepy muscles. Chansung loses himself in time, doing all kinds of exercises. His body gets slightly sweaty as he’s doing push ups and when he hears a quiet knock on his door, Chansung stops and looks up. Wooyoung’s head pops in.

“Oh, you’re still awake.” He lets himself in as Chansung stands up.

“Yeah. What brings you here?” Chansung rubs the back of his neck, feeling cold sweat gathered there.

“How did you like the device?” Wooyoung comes closer and Chansung can swear the way he asked that question feels like Wooyoung’s not very interested in the answer.

“It’s... pretty accurate...” Chansung watches Wooyoung move closer and there’s that odd glint in his eyes again, as if he’s assessing the situation, and yet, nevertheless, he looks very confident about something. Chansung narrows his eyes. “You didn’t come here to ask about the device, did you?” He states, when there’s very little distance between him and Wooyoung. His heartbeat fastens when Wooyoung’s hand touches his damp chest. “Wooyoung, what are you doing?” Chansung’s voice is quiet, but demanding.

“I’m pretty much sure we’re on the same page.” He grins.

“And what page is that?”

“Sexually frustrated.” Chansung’s eyebrows rise in astonishment.

“Wait, what are you-” He’s taken by surprise, when Wooyoung’s other hand slips through the boxers he’s wearing.

“Shh... Today, I saw you looking at him.” Chansung’s eyes widen in shock as Wooyoung whispers. “Junho, I mean. Then, it hit me. You like men. So do I. And we both need some action. You get my equation?” Chansung lets out a breathy sigh, feeling Wooyoung’s hand stroking on his hardening erection.

“I do, but...” Wooyoung squeezes him harder and Chansung yelps quietly.

“Hey, don’t worry. No strings attached. I’m here simply for the business.”

“You’re cold.” Chansung states, not objecting whatever is happening in his underwear.

“Well, you’re hot and I can use that.” Wooyoung chuckles as he kisses Chansung’s neck and pushes him down on the bed. “Do I hear an agreement?” He asks when Chansung breathes heavier.

“Fuck you.” He says, half grinning and soon enough his mouth gets shut by Wooyoung’s lips. They feel cold and Chansung can really tell he only means business. His moves seem calculated and not much emotion put into it, however, one thing is clear – passion is there.

It feels so liberating to finally be touched by someone else’s hands and their breathing gets heavier as Wooyoung kisses him down, his lips trailing over Chansung’s hot skin. When Wooyoung takes him into his mouth, Chansung closes his eyes at the wet sensation around his throbbing cock. At that moment, Chansung imagines it’s Junho down there and everything changes. The lust gets stronger and he barely keeps himself from thrusting into that mouth. Wooyoung’s tongue works skilfully with one hand, while the other one’s in his own pants, taking care of himself. Chansung doesn’t feel the need to help him. After all, Wooyoung was the one who threw himself at him, meaning business.

Chansung’s about to reach the climax, when he turns his head to the side and through the crack of the door, his eyes meet Junho’s. Only this time, it’s not his imagination.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks @egle0702 for editing!

He cannot stop it. Chansung closes his eyes as he reaches the pleasure high. When he looks at the door crack again, Junho's already gone. One strong emotion quickly switches another as Chansung feels embarrassment painfully creeping upon his entire essence. Junho saw them. He bites on his lip, not knowing how to deal with his own shame. Also, what kind of image does Junho have of him now?

"So, how was it?" Wooyoung's clearly satisfied tone awakens him.

Chansung stands up fast and pulls his underwear on with his back turned at the technician. "Listen," he turns around and Wooyoung's satisfied grin slowly fades away as he sees how serious Chansung is. "This was the first and the last time. This isn't happening ever again."

"What? Why?" Wooyoung looks slightly offended. Of course, a man's pride is easy to hurt in this turn of events. Chansung sighs.

"It has nothing to do with you." The Sergeant tries to salvage the situation. "I'm sorry. Can you leave now?"

Wooyoung looks at the ground briefly.

"Oh, I see how it is..." Chansung raises his eyebrow. What was that ambiguous answer? Wooyoung then looks up and smiles. "Don't come to me when your heart gets broken." And with that he exits the room, leaving Chansung dumbfounded.

He stares at the door and cannot come up with any other explanation than that Wooyoung probably knows his feelings towards Junho. With perception like that, he should be reckoned with. However, they all are trying to survive together. Chansung shouldn't worry about him too much. Probably. He frowns worried.

"What did I get myself into..." He grabs his jumpsuit and dresses up. No matter how embarrassed Chansung feels right now, he needs to see Junho and try to explain or say sorry, or something... Just to do anything to stop him from getting the wrong impression or going to the rest of the squad and talking about this. Chansung starts to get paranoid, he realises that, but... He just feels very vulnerable at the moment and he's not used to that. Even when he's surrounded by a dozen of zombies, he doesn't feel as vulnerable as he does now. He was seen naked, both physically and mentally. "Now, don't be a little bitch, Chansung..." He mutters to himself, zipping up the jumpsuit. The thought that he has to justify himself is revolting and scary. It would be nothing if he didn't care what Junho feels. However, he does.

Chansung opens the door and walks into the corridor. He stops right in his track when he sees Junho leaning back on the windowsill at the back of the corridor, his arms crossed on his chest. Junho's face looks emotionless when he glances at Chansung. Then, he stands up and enters the balcony, leaving the door open. Chansung's stomach is twisting and it's giving him a hard time. Funny how one person can make you feel like this. Especially when there are hundreds of zombies wandering around, ready to eat your brain out at any given moment and you don't really worry about that. Chansung makes his way towards the open door, covered by a wavy white curtain.

The light breeze caresses Chansung's face, when he closes the balcony door behind him. There's not a single cloud in the sky. Everything is illuminated by the full moon and the trees sway lightly, rustling quietly. The cans reflect the moonlight too: A rather primitive alarm system made from a string, cans and whatever that can make noise once scraped by a mindless walking dead body. Taecyeon came up with the idea when Chansung was out of it due to the concussion and it turned out to be pretty helpful. No need to patrol outside really, one person in the balcony is enough to watch over the territory. Apparently, it was Junho's shift tonight and that was probably the reason he was there at Chansung's door with the award of the worst timing of the year.

Chansung stands beside him, leaning on the handrail. They stay quiet for some time until Chansung gathers the last bits of his pride and courage, his knuckles already white as he's holding onto the white wood tightly. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I hope you don't tell anyone about it."

"Do you really think I'm the type to spill out someone's secrets just like that?" Junho sounds a bit offended and Chansung finally looks back at him. Junho's gaze is intense and Chansung tries his best not to get sucked in.

"No. Not at all. It's just... They don't know... Well, that I prefer men." Chansung wants to die. This is excruciating. He looks away, not being able to withstand the power of Junho's eyes. "Wooyoung was just wild guessing and he got it right. He basically threw himself at me."

"But you didn't refuse him, so blaming only him isn't very fair, don't you think?" Chansung chuckles bitterly at Junho's sound remark. Both of them are at fault really.

"You're right. I gave in. I'm a weak man, I suppose. When primal instincts take over you it's not very easy to refuse them." Chansung licks his lips. "However, I told him this was the first and the last time we did this." He gathers himself enough to look at Junho. The latter seems to be slightly surprised, but that expression goes away immediately when Chansung's eyes linger on Junho's face.

"There's nothing between me and him." Chansung declares finally, hoping it would change something for the better.

"I just want to know..." Junho begins and Chansung glances at him, noticing the latter biting his lip briefly. "How did you manage to keep your secret away from your squad? Have you never ever had at least a crush on any of them?" The question floors Chansung. He just stares at Junho with wide eyes, while the latter is waiting for an answer, seemingly calm, yet Chansung can tell the sharpness behind his eyes is full of genuine curiosity.

"I don't mix work with pleasure." He sways back and forth slightly, looking at the ground below. "They are on a different level; I’ve told myself that from the start. And I have never had a problem with that. They're like brothers to me."

"Sounds very professional of you. Yet, with Wooyoung..." There's a tint of disappointment in Junho's voice, which makes Chansung look at him.

"He's different."

"How?" Junho pushes him further.

"He's not a part of my squad. He's an outsider." Chansung watches Junho's face intently. What is he trying to achieve here?

"What about me then? What level am I on?" The question astounds Chansung once more.

With Chansung's impending silence, Junho loses patience as he puts his sniper rifle away, grabs the Sergeant by his collar and pushes him hard back against the handrail. Chansung's shocked, to say the least. His hands hold onto the handrail tight as Junho leans forward, demanding an answer with a very low voice:

"Tell me."

If it was any other person, Chansung would simply kick him off himself. This is different. This could ruin everything. And while Junho's demanding an answer in such a pushy way, Chansung is having his inner battles. Being honest always seems to be the right way, but it's also precarious at times. Chansung can either tell the truth and be pushed over the balcony or... Why does Junho insist on the answer so bad? Why does he need to know? What difference would it make for him to hear it from Chansung? Is there any chance that he...?

Junho's grip on his collar gets stronger.

_Come what may_ , Chansung thinks before revealing himself in a way he thought he never would.

"There's only one exclusive level for you." It's daring, but he leans forward slightly, bringing his face closer to Junho's. "I like you." Chansung's hands relax as Junho seems to be processing the information he has just received.  
When you don't know if you'll be able to survive another day, it's easier to take risky chances. Perhaps, just this once, his premonition is right. Perhaps, he isn't the only one feeling this way.

Junho looks down and sighs, his grip on Chansung's collar weakens and gradually his big hands release him. Nevertheless, Junho doesn't move away. Somehow, Junho's expression softens and his hand reaches out for the Sergeant's face.

"You're not going to punch me?" Chansung asks quietly, his words making Junho's hand stop mid-air.

The corners of Junho's lips curl up a briefly, but he doesn't reply. Instead, his hand finally touches Chansung's cheek, his jaw fitting perfectly into Junho's palm. Chansung's grip on the handrail grows tighter, that seemingly small gesture causing an inner storm. Junho's thumb caresses the soft cheek skin and Chansung feels like it's burning under his touch. Then, Junho‘s hand moves slightly lower and his thumb brushes against Chansung's lower lip. Junho's face comes closer, locking his eyes with Chansung's.

There it is, that inner power coming from him, which turns the Sergeant into a mush. Junho's thumb makes Chansung's lips part and he pushes it inside, making Chansung lick it. The action is cut short when Junho's thumb slips out of the hot mouth and he leans in, barely leaving any space between them. Chansung's pretty sure that if you were to place a match between them right now, it would ignite without brushing against the match box. His heart is pumping blood like he has just finished running a marathon of his life and Junho's breath, ghosting over his lips, is unimaginably torturing.

If this is a punishment for giving in into Wooyoung's business-like seduction, it's definitely working. Chansung turns impatient and leans forward, but Junho's left hand pushes his chest back. Junho has a wicked grin now, clearly enjoying himself. Chansung's just completely confused and hungry like a wild animal with a prey presented right in front of him. Despite that, Junho takes his time. His right hand still palms Chansung's cheek, while the other one moves up his chest and settles on the taller male's neck. Junho's nose brushes against Chansung's left cheek as his lips almost touch the impatient man's earlobe.

"I'll make you forget you ever had anything to do with Wooyoung." Junho whispers, making a chill run down Chansung's core. He gulps at those words.

"I kind of want to thank him." Chansung blurts and Junho's lips move away from his ear. He stares straight into Chansung's hazy eyes, waiting for an explanation. "If I had known how jealous you can get I would have used Wooyoung's business services sooner."

Junho frowns. "Don't get ahead of yourself."

Chansung smirks at Junho's warning.

"I'd like to hear an answer from you now." Junho raises an eyebrow and when Chansung suddenly grabs his butt, pulling him closer, Junho yelps soundlessly. "What level am I on?"

Junho grins, his right hand sliding down Chansung's neck. "I wonder..." He teases again, cupping Chansung's face in his palms and barely touching his lips. Chansung's fingers dig deeper into the soft flesh, to his dismay, still covered in clothes. Junho's mouth opens at that action and his own patience ends here.

Junho kisses Chansung and their lips are pressed together without moving for a while, enjoying each other's warmth. Junho's lips feel completely different from anyone Chansung has ever kissed. He feels drugged by the warm sensation with imaginary fireworks going off in his head. Junho pulls back slightly, gazing into Chansung's half-lidded eyes and he whispers, "I like your lips."

Junho kisses Chansung again, this time with more passion and dampness. Chansung's fingers travel up Junho's waist, hugging him closer and Junho's arms circle around Chansung's neck, while being trapped in-between his strong thighs.

Time stops for Chansung as he savours Junho's lips and all that has been bothering him for the past few months disappear. He's like in another dimension, where only the two of them exist. No zombies, no danger, no careful planning in hopes to survive another day. His dream is cut short when Junho's lips abandon him to catch a breath. Then, a clinking sound reaches them.

They both glance at the source and notice a roamer, who tripped over the rope.

"It's the first one this evening, oddly quiet tonight." Junho says and is about to pick up the sniper rifle, when Chansung catches his arms. "What, can't you wait?" He smirks, but Chansung doesn't look like he's in the mood anymore and Junho's smile drops. "What's wrong?"

"Listen. Do you hear it?" They stare at the dark trees, separating the house from the field. At first it's not easy to notice because the tree leaves are rustling, but when Junho listens harder, he can hear it. It's like a muted symphony of low growls and moans, which, undoubtedly, is getting closer.

His eyes widen as he stares at Chansung. "There must be a lot of them."

"Let me check it out." Chansung moves away from Junho and climbs up on the handrail, trying to get a better look behind the trees. Only because the full moon is so bright, he's able to see a massive herd of zombies moving like a sea towards their house. He gulps when he realises the size of it, he has never seen anything like this before. "Shit, it's like thousands of them. An entire city. We have to get out of here right now!" He jumps down as Junho shoots the roamer entangled in the rope. “Get everyone from the second floor; I’ll get the first floor.”

“Got it.” Junho replies and they depart as Chansung runs downstairs.

Everyone’s sleeping peacefully when Chansung reaches the first floor and it angers him that they have to retreat abruptly like this. You can never relax in this world.

“Get up!” He screams and his men look up confused, still sleepy. Chansung pats some of his men, walking past them quickly. “Unless you want to get eaten, you better move to the truck right now. We have a tsunami of zombies moving towards us!” The Sergeant doesn’t need to repeat it twice as everyone jumps in a hurry and grabs their stuff.

“It’s that bad?” Taecyeon walks up to him and Chansung nods.

“First time seeing something like this.” He says as he watches Junho lead a few of his men down from the second floor. “You got everyone?”

“Yeah.” Junho confirms and there’s more of that clinking sound coming from the yard. Everyone stares at Chansung momentarily.

“Who’s got the car key?” He asks.

“I do.” Taecyeon replies, swinging the key in his fingers.

“Taecyeon, start the engine. Nichkhun, Junho and I will cover everyone.” He explains quickly and pulls on the doorknob. “Let’s go!”

They run outside and they’re met with a few roamers and regulars. Junho takes a few down with his sword, while Chansung and Nichkhun aim for their brains with their guns. There’s a louder growl than the others and Chansung muscles tense up. “Runner!” He yells and manages to shoot it down from the second try.

When he turns to his right, he notices a roamer closing in on Nichkhun from behind. “Behind you!” He yells and Nichkhun swiftly turns around, aiming right for the jackpot.

Chansung hears the truck engine start and it’s a relief to know their car didn’t magically break down during those past few days. They’d be screwed if it did.

“We’re all set!” Namyong yells from the back of the truck.

“Good, Khun, get in the back. Junho and I will join Taec in the front.” He then glances at Namyong. “Cover us!”

Someone grabs his arm and Chansung’s immediately spooked by it as he looks back and sees a regular right in front of his face. He kicks it, but it’s rather strong and when a blade flashes in his eyesight, there’s only an arm left clinging onto his jumpsuit. Junho pierces the head quickly and Chansung gets rid of the severed arm.

“Run!” He commands and finally they get covered by the rest of the squad, shooting from the back of the truck. It starts moving slowly, so Nichkhun jumps in the back, while Junho and Chansung quickly make their run for the front seat.

Junho shuts the door and Taecyeon speeds up immediately, tearing off their cheap alarm system as the front of the car rips the rope in half.

They huff heavily, little by little starting to feel safe while moving away from the house that has been their safe haven for the past few days. Chansung realises now that being in that house was actually very dangerous – he started to feel safe and it was a mistake. He was lulled into thinking there was no danger. You can never let your guard down; four walls make you weak. And you have to be a little bit savage to fight off those mindless creatures. Chansung promises himself to never forget how fast everything can change and that safety is a very dangerous feeling.

As he’s thinking that, Junho’s fingers find his and they intertwine secretly, away from the composed driver’s eyes.

It’s going to be even harder now.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks @egle0702 for editing!

They keep off the main road as usual and turn left by Chansung's instruction, while he looks at the map spread out across his legs and the truck panel. It's been a while since anyone drove through this road, because it seems rather secluded with dirt and leaves covering most of the asphalt. They need to find a place for the night; it's more dangerous to drive when you can‘t see that much into the distance.

"There should be a gas station not too far away." Chansung says, looking at the small icon on the map. "I miss GPS."

"Me too," Taecyeon agrees sighing. "We're such technology junkies though."

"Says the biggest nerd of the squad." Chansung chuckles at him and earns a playfully menacing glare. "Just stating the fact."

"Easy to judge for you, when the only thing you care about are books. They're not that hard to get in the zombie age." Taecyeon sulks as he recalls the glorious days filled with modern technology.

"Books? What kind?" Junho asks grinning. That's brand new information.

"What do you think?" Asks Taecyeon, smiling broadly after glancing briefly at Junho's curious expression.

"Hmm..." He thinks for a bit. "Erotica?" Taecyeon cackles like a hyena, while Chansung raises his eyebrow, pretending to be slightly offended.

"Excuse you." The Sergeant says calmly and a grin spreads across Junho's face.

"Erotica aside, I'm pretty sure he's also up for some deep books," Junho continues. "Food for mind and soul, no?"

"Bingo." Taecyeon winks at him. "Our Sergeant loves some deep thinking." He slaps Chansung's thigh. "And that erotica."

"Oh shut up, I've never had a book like that in my office."

"Doesn't mean you don't hide any under your bed." Taecyeon wiggles his eyebrows, getting an annoyed growl from his boss.

"I'm not you, Taec. What about that time when I caught you reading that hent-"

"Woah woah woah!" Taecyeon protests. "Nothing happened!" There's a short silence as Chansung and Junho grin at Taecyeon like two vultures about to eat their prey.

"Also, I prefer doing the real thing instead of reading porn." Chansung adds with a wicked smirk and it looks like Taecyeon is about to puke. Junho's gaze, on the other hand...

"Here it is," Taecyeon's voice changes into business-like immediately and the previous carefree mood is gone.

"Alright. Stay in the car, I'll grab Junho and a couple of the other guys to check it out." Taecyeon nods at Chansung's words.

The wind blows strong when they get out of the truck. The gas station seems to have been abandoned a long time ago; there are a few broken cars as well, complementing the overall gloomy view. Chansung gets to the back of the truck, Junho behind his back.

"Khun and Namyong, come with us. Also," He looks at Wooyoung, whose eyes widen in surprise. "Grab your device, you're coming too."

"Very well, Sergeant." Wooyoung grins, grabbing the zombie detector. "And here I was wondering when you'd need my services again." He says while jumping out of the truck, deliberately staring at Chansung longer than necessary.

 _That little shit_ , Chansung remains calm though. Wooyoung is full of shit at the moment, but Chansung knows better than to give in. They have more important problems to handle right now.

"You'll go first." Chansung says and Wooyoung's smug expression drops.

"Why me? I don't have a gun." He protests.

"You have the device." Chansung glances at the object in Wooyoung's hands. "You'll know if there's any danger waiting for you, won't you?"

"I will..."

"What's the range of it anyway?"

"I'd say around 30 metres."

"So, you'll be safe." Chansung concludes staring at Wooyoung's bitter face.

"Yeah, we will cover you anyway, no need to crap your pants." Nichkhun adds smiling. Wooyoung sighs annoyed.

"Fine."

Wooyoung walks first, Chansung's right behind him with Namyong and Nichkhun on both of his sides a bit further and Junho at the back. He stares at the device screen, waiting for a dot to appear. So far so good. Wooyoung's startled slightly when a bird emerges from a broken car. The building isn't very big, just a regular gas station. Windows are covered with planks, but the door seems to be slightly open. Wooyoung gulps as he gets closer and then he halts, when he sees a dot appear on the screen. He looks back at Chansung and the latter comes closer, staring at the screen.

"Good job," he says quietly. "Stay here." Chansung glances at Nichkhun and points at the door, signalling that both of them are going in and the rest should stay outside with Wooyoung.

The Sergeant tries to open the door, but it seems like there's a rope attached to it from the inside. He gets the knife and gets rid of the rope swiftly. Then, he enters the building first and, using the flashlight mounted on top of the gun, points it at the counter. There's a very poor looking roamer there, barely able to walk. It clearly hasn't fed in months. Nichkhun gets to it first and grabs it by the hair, but he pulls too strong and the hair comes off the scull with the scalp. "Shit, it's nasty!" Without much thought he drops the hair and skin to the corner, meanwhile Chansung throws a knife before the roamer can attack Nichkhun. The throw is so powerful the zombie's head gets nailed to the wall.

"Hey, no matter how ugly that thing is don't lose your focus." Chansung warns his subordinate and Nichkhun nods, learning the lesson.

With the main obstacle gone, they make sure the rest of the building is danger free and call in the rest of the squad. Seulong carries out the dead body, while everyone stares at Nichkhun kicking the scalp on the shovel and carrying it out ceremoniously. "Is that your supper?" Namyong teases and everyone chuckles.

Someone finds the key and they lock the door. Chansung decides that it's best for them to sleep instead of patrolling one by one. They're all tired; however, probably not all of them will be able to sleep that well after what has happened. You always sleep with one eye open in this environment anyway.

Everyone makes themselves as comfortable as possible in their sleeping bags, scattered all over the floor and in-between the shelves. Chansung lies by the door with Taecyeon on his right and Junho on the left. "We will check the situation with the gas in the morning and come up with our further plan." Chansung informs his right hand man.

"Sounds good to me," Taecyeon agrees sluggishly. "Good night, bro." He turns away. Obviously, this one won't have any troubles sleeping as he's already snoring softly. Chansung turns at Junho who's still awake.

"Get some sleep." Chansung whispers and is about to close his eyes when Junho mouths, gazing at him.

_Love you._

Chansung's heart feels caged all of a sudden. Junho can be very affectionate behind that ambiguous exterior.

 

There's a friendly chatter in the morning, everyone seems to be refreshed, more or less. Upon closer inspection they find some gas leftovers and a few other useful things. It's much colder today though and as Chansung stares at the date, he realises it's already calendar winter. And even though they're moving south, they can't escape the changing seasons. This is not a tropical climate zone after all. Everyone gathers in the yard and Chansung places the map on one of the broken cars’ hoods.

"Undoubtedly, we need more supplies before venturing further on our trip, because we used quite a lot while staying at the house. We also need Wooyoung to make more devices, so we have to find a proper shop for electronic parts."

"Going to a city is something we want to avoid..." Nichkhun notes.

"Right. That's why I've been staring at the map like a mad man this morning. Apparently, there's supposed to be a big shopping mall around two hundred kilometres away. It's outside of the city. Seems perfect, yeah?" Everyone murmurs in agreement.

Soon, they head out for the shopping mall. Chansung's up front again, with Junho and Taecyeon behind the wheel. It gets cloudier when they drive further South. Chansung stares at the abandoned places, wondering if there are any survivors left at all. It feels like it's only them who are still alive and breathing. Ever since the explosion at the facility, they haven't met a single survivor.

Many people think they can survive when adisaster hits them, but reality is different. With no proper training and good physique, your chances of survival are very slim, almost non-existent. The way people were always taken care of by big corporations and their products: people have been doomed since the first day of such dependence. They were so used to receiving the final product that didn't require any effort from the user, they forgot how to make things with their own hands. In a way, they have been living like birds in golden cages, and when you finally get the freedom, you usually become chaotic and reckless.

"Woah, it's snowing." Taecyeon expresses his surprise, leaning forward while holding hard onto the steering wheel. The snowflakes are dancing slowly, putting a hypnotising effect on everyone marvelling at their beauty. "Chansung, what do you want for Christmas?" Taecyeon asks merrily.

"For everyone to stay alive." He blurts out without even thinking and realises that's not the answer Taecyeon has been expecting to hear. But Chansung doesn't correct himself. That is his only real wish. Junho just looks at him worriedly for a few moments.

They stay silent for the rest of the trip, drowned in their own thoughts. By the time they reach the shopping mall, everything is covered by a thin layer of snow. The truck stops in the parking lot, about 50 metres away from the building.

The engine quiets down and Chansung analyses what's in front of them. This place feels different. The shopping mall, surprisingly, is in a good shape; the parking lot is empty, not that much garbage lying around and the most important: the glass door seems to be blocked and covered from the inside. Chansung grabs binoculars to get a better look. Indeed, the door is covered, he cannot see the inside. Then, he glances at the rooftop and for a brief moment he sees movement.

"I think we found our first survivors." Chansung states as he puts the binoculars away. He turns around in his seat and opens the small window so the rest of the men could hear him in the back of the truck. "Joon and Seungho, I want you to stay here. Cover us if the survivors turn out to be hostile." Chansung takes the car key from Taecyeon and hands it to Joon. " This is our only chance, so let's not fuck this up."

"Do I have to go?" Wooyoung asks, his fears getting the better of him.

"Yeah, you look like a proper civilian, you might soften their hearts." Chansung smirks. "Okay, let's go."

"This is crazy, you don't know who they are and how many." Wooyoung tries to prove his point.

"That's true, but they also don't know how trained we are. Also, we don't really have another choice. Unless you're willing to go to the city." Chansung shrugs.

"Shopping mall it is then." Wooyoung says grumpily and stands up, everyone else doing the same.

"Such an attention whore." Junho mumbles leaving the car, but Chansung hears him and smiles, leaning close to Junho's ear from behind.

"If this mission turns out successful, you'll get enough attention from me tonight." Chansung cannot see Junho's face, but his ears become red instantly and the Sergeant chuckles satisfied.

"Shut up." Is all he can manage to say.

The thin layer of snow squeaks beneath their shoes and the group stops in front of the door. Chansung comes forward, ready to meet their leader. It's both exciting and scary to meet the living. Who knows what they have been through and what kind of people they are. Wooyoung was right, but Chansung knows that this is their only option at the moment. The wind blows harder and picks up some snow, making Chansung squint briefly.  
The glass door opens slowly and three figures emerge from the building. There's a blonde woman up front with two men on her left and right; one of them has a German shepherd on a leash. She has a shotgun, but it doesn't seem like her acquaintances have any firearms. They only have machetes and baseball bats. Chansung wonders if that's just to throw them off. He glances behind them and notices more people staring from the inside. Maybe 10, he can't tell exactly.

The woman stops in front of Chansung, wearing a suspicious expression. "Hello." Her voice is raspy.

"Hello." Chansung responds. "Are you the leader here?"

"Yes. You don't seem like a bunch of random survivors." She eyes their uniforms and her gaze stops at Wooyoung. "Except for him."

"He got lucky to be saved by us." Chansung smiles, hoping this warms up the lady, but she still looks suspiciously.

"Are you soldiers?" She doesn't beat around the bush.

"Yes. Special forces."

"Are you here to save us?!" The man with the dog suddenly exclaims, his eyes full of hope.

"Jae." The woman tells him off and he steps back. "What are you doing here?"

"We were hoping to get some supplies." Chansung looks at her as she keeps quiet, thinking about something.

"If we provide you with supplies, we expect to get something in return." She finally says.

"Okay, what do you want from us?"

"Guns." Her face is fierce.

"How many?"

"I think 5 would be nice."

Chansung narrows his eyes. The amount she wants is too big. Of course, they could probably take what they want by force since they probably have more guns than them. However, Chansung doesn't want any casualties. They have to remain as humane as possible. He can see that from her face too, as he keeps on thinking about the possibilities. No one wants to shed blood here.

"I cannot give you 5 guns. We're on a very long trip here, so every gun and bullet counts. We also don't want to take those items by force; it's not who we are. Nevertheless, if you're willing to cooperate we promise we have only good intentions and the best I can offer you are 2 carbine rifles. Also, our technician could make you a device that can detect zombies. The choice is yours." Chansung decides that he has to be a bit tougher with them since they clearly don't know how hard it is outside the concrete walls. And this offer wouldn't harm their ammo resources too much. If she declined the offer, Chansung would just leave; he's not up to killing some civilians.

"Let me talk to my people." She turns around and disappears into the building.

"What if she rejects the offer?" Taecyeon whispers to the Sergeant.

"We will have to find another place then. And I doubt she will. I'm pretty sure they're out of options. 5 guns sound very desperate to me." Chansung explains and Taecyeon nods in understanding. After a while the door opens and she comes back with the two men and the dog.

"Fine. We accept the offer. I'm Yubin." She reaches out her hand towards Chansung.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Chansung." He shakes her hand and the deed is done.

"You can stay the night, it will probably take some time to make that device." She says and her stern expression grows softer. "I'm pretty sure your trip is exhausting."

"You can't imagine." Chansung smiles. He then presses on his earpiece."Joon, get Seungho and our stuff. We're staying for the night here."

"Got it."

When the two of them get to the rest of the squad, Chansung grabs two rifles and some bullets. Yubin's men take each gun and then he demonstrates the device. His part of the deal is done. Yubin's smile of satisfaction spreads across her face and she nods. "Welcome to our home."

They enter the building.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks @egle0702 for editing!

The cold gets replaced by warmth when the door closes behind them. There's a fountain at the entrance; a sculpture of three cherubs makes it look very sleazy and you can tell whoever designed the shopping mall was pretty much into kitsch. There's no water pouring out of the fountain though and Chansung notices a few unlit candles and lanterns scattered across the place. The building's a square with two blocks of shops while the layout reminds him of a window. At the other end of the building he sees a grocery shop, making it the third block separated from all the smaller shops. There are no windows on the walls, the only source of light comes from the skylights above. This is a perfect place to hide and live.

Now he can count that with Yubin and her two guards there are 13 people in total: everyone's there to meet them. The special forces uniforms give them an advantage, people trust them easier and there's no tension, even though they're armed heavily. The Sergeant sees hope in the people's eyes; they probably think that they're here to save them or at least do something about this situation, explain things. His squad equals government right now and these people probably haven't seen anyone from the government in months. Chansung feels pressured though, because he doesn't have the right answers. There's no one looking for survivors, there are no survivor camps that he would know of and there is no future prospect with only the dead bothering them daily.

His thoughts are distracted when someone licks his fingers and as he looks down, he sees the dog off the leash. Chansung squats to give some attention to the dog. It's been a while since he has seen one. "Oh, Sunny likes you." Yubin smiles.

"Sunny?" Chansung arches his eyebrow at the dog's name.

"She makes our days brighter." Yubin explains and Chansung stands up smiling. "Right, about that device..."

"Wooyoung," Chansung calls out and the technician comes closer to them. "He needs electronic parts." Chansung explains to Yubin.

"Okay. Jae, show him to the electronics shop." Yubin commands and the two leave. "You're lucky to have a person like this in your squad. We could use a brainiac in this place too."

"Really?"

"We have a few solar power panels on the rooftop, which provide us with hot water and minimal electricity. However, sometimes they can be very stubborn. Then we must rely on electronic engineering books." She smirks. "If he could have a look at the panels it'd be nice."

"Sure, I'll let him know."

"If you want warm water and a shower this evening, he should probably work on the panels first." She notes.

Chansung shudders internally at the thought of warm water and he calls Changmin to relay the message to Wooyoung. How long has it been since any of them had a simple pleasure like a warm shower? Even at the facility it usually used to be lukewarm due to the amount of people staying there and strict water preserving rules. Honestly, this place seems like a dream. Should his squad still try to go to that secret research laboratory? Is it worth it? Chansung glances at Junho talking to a teenage girl, both of them laughing about something. Junho would think it's worth it.

Yubin shows Chansung around and later all of his men are given new clothes and winter coats. At least they won't have to freeze their butts off as it's getting colder. They settle down in what used to be the shopping mall's employee kitchen and while they wait for the diner to be cooked, Yubin tells Chansung more about their situation. Yubin used to be an athlete whose mother was married to the man who owned this shopping mall. When the disaster struckit was midnight. She was told by her mother to hide in here as Yubin's house was closer to the massive building. Her mother and step-father were supposed to get here from the city, but they never did. In the end, Yubin was left here alone. She managed to contact a few more employees before the cellular connection was gone permanently and they joined her. During all thesemonths they were approached only by 3 survivors and Yubin took them all in.

"I'll be honest, when I saw you there; I thought you were there to save us." Her smile is gloomy. "But now... I'm starting to think there's no hope for humanity left. The virus spread out too fast." They stay quiet for a while and Chansung feels sympathetic. "You said you have a long trip ahead of you. Where are you going?"

"There's supposed to be a research lab in the South. We don't know if there's any people left alive in there, but it's our only shot." Chansung looks down at his fingers and clasps them together.

"It's risky, isn't it?"

"It is." Chansung nods. "But we must believe in something in order to survive, no?"

"But we shouldn't get reckless as well." She winks, grabbing a glass of water.

The kitchen door opens suddenly and there's the teenage girl that Junho has talked to before, a wide smile on her face. "Sis, their guy fixed the solar panels. We have hot water now!" Everyone starts shouting with joy and begin reserving queue numbers, eager to relax under the hot stream. Chansung watches their happy faces, realising how little it takes to make people smile these days. Something you took for granted before now gives so much joy. Soon, the dinner is served and if Chansung was alone he'd be crying because, damn, that freshly cooked spaghetti tastes almost godly.

Everyone's curious what the outer world is like and Chansung feels like a grandfather, telling tales to children. It's sort of weird, but these people have been isolated in here since the outbreak began. Yubin's people have a lot of questions, so he spends the rest of the dinner (and a little after that) answering them. Only when Yubin interrupts, they stop the friendly interrogation and both of them leave the kitchen as Chansung's ready to show her and Jae how the rifles work. He still wonders why they would need the guns if they're safe inside and the glass door is actually made from the bullet-proof glass, so he asks and Yubin's answer makes a lot of sense.

"At some point, our resources will end and when that time comes we will need to go out and look for things."

"You're thinking about future. That's a great leader quality." Chansung grins.

"Yeah, unfortunately, I'm the only one who had to do anything with sports, so my agility and stamina are the best out of all of my friends here. Though I'm planning to train someone, so I could have a partner to make quick runs with."

"Good thinking." Chansung nods and proceeds teaching them how to use the guns; he also shares some insights on how to fight the different types of zombies as Yubin and her men listen carefully.

Chansung's the last one to get to the shower as most of the people have already gone to sleep. It has been a very eventful evening and he most definitely would love to stay here longer, but they can't postpone the trip any more than this. It will get even colder soon, so they have to move fast. His muscles relax under the hot stream, enjoying the sensation, because there's no knowing when he will get to experience it again.

He sighs, exiting the shower and slipping into fresh clothes: a white t-shirt and blue jeans. His hair is still damp when he walks into the corridor; the atmosphere is much different from the one when he entered the building. The candles and lanterns emit cosy lighting, even though there's only a few of them. He can also hear someone listening to the music, probably on an old-fashioned tape-recorder powered by simple alkaline batteries.

"Hey." Chansung turns around and sees Junho, wearing the same outfit. It looks great on him, accentuating all the best features his body has. Chansung bites on his lower lip; he should burn Junho's jumpsuit, so he could wear only these skinny jeans and the t-shirt. A true feast for the eyes. But it doesn't seem like Junho notices Chansung's hungry gaze as his face is more or less in the shadow, while Junho's skin reflects the light coming from the lantern in his hands.

"I found something you might like." Junho says and tilts his head, so Chansung would follow him.

_Something I might like is walking right in front of me_ , Chansung thinks, while walking behind the shorter male. He doesn't really care what Junho has to show him; he just wants to be with him alone for the night.

The area they enter is darker, only two candles burning, each on the different end of the corridor. Junho opens the shop door and lets Chansung in first.

"It's a bookshop," Chansung says smiling as he looks around. There are a few rows of tall shelves, all filled with books. He shuts the sliding door.

"Yeah," Junho walks through the shelves and places the lantern on the table near the last shelf. "Philosophy, psychology..." His voice sounds lower than usual while his fingers trace along the spines of the books. Chansung breathes harder, his eyes noticing how Junho‘s back muscles move beneath the shirt.

"Fuck those books," Chansung says and suddenly presses Junho's body against the shelf, his fingers gripping onto Junho's hips. Junho exhales hastily, his palms pressed to the shelf; he can feel Chansung's lips near his right ear. "All I want to read is you." He whispers. "Page by page..." He presses harder into Junho's behind and the latter can feel Chansung's erection, making his own groin burn in anticipation. "Letter by letter," Chansung's deep voice continues this verbal harassment. He grinds into Junho's butt and the latter's fingers accidentally push the books and they fall down, just like his composure.

Junho's fingers grasp onto the shelf harder, when Chansung's hand slides to the front and rubs him over the rough material, making Junho moan passionately as he reclines his head back onto Chansung's shoulder. He wants more; he needs to feel Chansung all over his body as its craving for his touch. It feels good to know how much Chansung wants him, because that hardness against his butt almost makes him beg for more. Junho's hand undoes the button and the zipper of his jeans quickly and he grabs Chansung's hand, guiding it to the hot flesh.

"No underwear," Chansung grins, stroking Junho slowly, while nibbling on his flushed ear.

"I think you said something about giving me more attention." He yelps soundlessly as Chansung strokes him harder.

"I'm a man of my word." Chansung makes Junho turn around and the latter's gaze is filled with lust, arousing the taller male even more. His fingers touch Junho's cheek, lips barely grazing against one another. Just his warm breath is enough to cloud Chansung brain and he kisses Junho hard, flooding his mouth with passion and wetness.

Junho's hands grip on Chansung's butt and make their hips collide roughly. He creates more friction by rubbing his thigh against Chansung's groin, which results in an even hotter kiss, sending them both to bliss.

Being with Junho is different. There's something about him that diffuses Chansung's usually very rational brain cells. It's so easy to get lost in those plump lips that when they finally pull apart for some air, Chansung has to support himself with one hand on the shelf. Junho's like the best drug in this world and once you try it, you can never get enough of him. There's no rehab for this one.

They remove their identical t-shirts and kiss once more, dissolving into an intoxicating embrace as Junho jumps up and wraps his legs around Chansung's waist. The Sergeant walks over to another table behind the shelf and shoves all the books away with one hand. The light in the lantern flickers and gets weaker, making Junho's skin glisten. His chest is heaving as Chansung stares him down hungrily; he almost wants to suggest staying here longer so he could have his ways with Junho daily without worrying about being attacked.

"You're not from this world, I swear." Chansung's words are filled with lust and Junho sits up, looking hotter if that's even possible. His gaze alone is enough to make Chansung come without being inside of him.

"What makes you say that?" His husky voice sends vibrations over Chansung's spine.

"The way you make me feel is not humanly possible."

Junho looks down briefly, but when he looks back at Chansung, there's only raw passion left in his eyes. He pulls something out of his pocket and whispers on Chansung's lips.

"I want you to fuck me. I want you inside of me so bad it's not humanly possible." And he puts a small bottle of lube in Chansung's palm.

With that Chansung pulls off Junho's jeans so fast the latter's mind can't even register it. Junho groans when he feels cold liquid run down his dick and balls, but when Chansung's fingers enter him, his body arches on the table. It's been a while since he has had sex, and even though he can see how ready Chansung is to fuck him, the Sergeant takes his time stretching Junho. He leans down and seals Junho's mouth with another hot kiss, adding more fingers into relaxing Junho's sensitive entrance.

Chansung can barely restrain himself receiving all those low moans and loud breaths, not to mention naked Junho wriggling beneath him is already distracting as hell.  
"I can't wait anymore." He says breathlessly and pushes his cock inside slowly, watching Junho's face closely as his mouth opens up without a sound. Junho's back arches, bringing his chest closer to Chansung's face and the latter sucks on Junho's perky nipples, his lips travelling up his neck sloppily, avoiding the side with the band-aid.

"Move." Junho wheezes out, adjusting to Chansung's hard length.

The slick movement gets faster and Junho's hands hold onto the table hard, the pounding on his lower half becoming more powerful as Chansung loses himself in pleasure. Junho feels hot; his ring muscles squeeze him hard and Chansung's about to go crazy at this wild sensation. Droplets of sweat form on his temples and he makes a mistake by looking down at Junho, because he's so alluring it almost makes Chansung choke on air. He's so close to coming, but he pulls his hard dick out and Junho whimpers at the loss.

Chansung pulls him up and swiftly moves Junho onto the floor, positioning him on all fours. He leans down and presses his damp chest to Junho's back. "I won't hold back anymore." Junho looks back and gives him a shocked look as he’s thought he has seen all of Chansung's capabilities, not expecting to get anything more. Chansung just grins at his reaction and Junho bites his lip, waiting for that promised mind-blowing sex.

Chansung's fingers grip hard on Junho's hips and he pushes in slowly at first, but quickly enough he starts pounding into Junho fast and hard. When Junho moans louder than before, Chansung knows he's hit the spot. His hand finds Junho's already leaking cock and strokes it harder while fucking the life out of him. Not even in his wildest dreams Chansung could imagine making love to someone could be a life changing experience, but being with Junho is something entirely different. And it's not only because he's insanely attractive, smart and interesting; it's also because there's a certain emotion that, apparently, he has never felt before. Making love is different than just having raw sex and this is exactly what's happening to him. For the first time in his life, Chansung's making love.

He never knew it was possible to feel that way about someone, to care for someone that deeply, and yet, he's finally able to admit it. Just one touch is enough to charge the air between them. Chansung loves Junho and it's making him feel more alive than ever. Chansung always has had a sceptic mind towards rash decisions regarding people in love, but now he knows what makes people forget rationality. His mind is filled with Junho and nothing else.

The last hard thrust brings Chansung to the edge and not a second later, Junho's comes as well, biting into his own arm to muffle the load moan.

Chansung lies on his back, catching his breath as Junho does the same beside him. "Who's going to clean the carpet?" Chansung asks and Junho chuckles.

"We're leaving tomorrow, no one will notice."

"That's not very nice towards our host." Chansung turns his head to look at Junho as he crawls onto Chansung, his hot skin burning him up once again.

"It's not like we will come here ever again." Junho's weight distributes equally as he settles down on top of Chansung. He then stares at Chansung's eyes from above, his elbows placed above Chansung's shoulders, his hands supporting his chin. Junho frowns slightly. "Something's bothering you."

"You know... We could stay here. It's safe. I think Yubin would want us to stay. Also, we could have fun anytime." Chansung's grin is lewd and Junho rolls his eyes at that. But then his gaze gets serious.

"Aren't you in the least bit interested in the secret lab? What if we find the answers there?" Junho sits up and Chansung does the same, his hands resting on Junho's thighs.

"And what if we don't? I have a bunch of people I have to take care of. Also, if I'm being completely honest with you..." Chansung licks his lips. "I feel like you're hiding something from me." Junho's warm expression falls immediately. "If you have something to tell me, please do." Junho's gaze falters for a moment, but he just shakes his head, his eyes forming into adorable crescents.

"You're thinking too much." He gives another wet kiss to Chansung and gets up, slipping into his jeans. "Come on, we should get to where everyone's sleeping before Taecyeon starts making wanted posters for us."

 

The next morning the squad packs all the supplies they received from Yubin. Chansung doesn't mention his doubts to Taecyeon that Junho managed to deflect so easily yesterday. He also cannot deny that he's interested in the research lab and there's a possibility to find the cure there. Despite that, Chansung has his own worries; he has kept his squad intact since the beginning and it's been a tough journey since the facility exploded. With winter coming along, it's going to get even tougher. He glances at Junho and the latter's smile warms his heart. The power he has over Chansung is overwhelming.

"So, this is it." Yubin stops in front of Chansung, her expression somewhat pensive.

"Yeah," Chansung smiles at her sympathetically.

"You know, we could use your help here... You could stay..." She looks down at her beige shoes.

"I'm really thankful for everything you've done for us, even though we’ve stayed here for such a short time." Chansung touches her shoulder and Yubin looks up. "You're a great leader. And if we find help, you'll be the first ones we will rescue."

"Thank you." Yubin's fingers touch Chansung's hand, squeezing her shoulder in encouragement.

They step outside and Chansung looks back at the shopping mall for the last time. A sigh escapes his mouth and Junho taps him on the arm, urging the Sergeant to get inside the truck.

 

 

During their trip Chansung notices that the cold weather takes a toll on zombies too; their movements are slower and more rigid. It's easier to fight even the runners, which is surprising.

It's been almost two weeks since his squad has left the shopping mall and so far their journey has been fairly steady. Staying off the main roads takes more time to reach the destination, but it's safer. However, that doesn't mean his men do not get exhausted. Being on the road for so long takes a lot of energy. Chansung himself feels slightly rusty, but having Junho by his side makes it easier. He doesn't know where Junho gets all that energy from, but it's contagious. Also, sometimes Junho makes sure to drag Chansung away from the bunch to have their own private time, which is pleasantly recharging, even if it’s just making out. By now Chansung thinks his men probably have an idea of what's going on between them, but no one says anything about it. Wooyoung still looks slightly bitter when he thinks no one’s looking at him though.

The car stops at a fork in the road and Nichkhun taps the steering wheel, glancing at Chansung. "So, which road do we take?"

"Hmm, let me see..." Chansung checks the map quickly. "If we take the main road on the right, we can reach the research lab in, approximately, two days. If we take the mountain road on the left, it should take about another week." He sighs, staring at the two roads in front of them. "There's a city ahead of that main road and there might be more zombies, but it's faster... And the mountain road doesn't seem very safe; there must be a lot of snow by now." Chansung thinks he should ask for the opinions of his men this time. He explains the situation quickly over the open inner window and almost all of them vote for the faster road.

"It shouldn't be very bad, I think." Taecyeon says from the back of the truck. "We can just speed up past the zombies, we also have guns."

"He's right." Junho agrees, sitting on the Sergeant's right.

"Alright then. Let's try the main road." Chansung gets comfortable in the front seat and Nichkhun turns the steering wheel right.

Strangely enough, there are no cars blocking their way. As Chansung stares at the snowy rut, he realises someone was driving there not too long ago, maybe a few hours back. There must be more survivors, perhaps they're staying close to the city. The clouds look heavier than before and it starts snowing lightly. They're about 20 kilometres into the main road, when Chansung notices something moving ahead of them. "Khun, stop the truck." He commands and Nichkhun obeys, turning the engine off.

"What's that?" Junho squints as the object is too far.

"Wait." Chansung grabs the binoculars and puts it to his eyes. "It's a car."

It's a small hatchback and its movement seem to be quite erratic. It drives fast though and Chansung lowers his binoculars, because the way it approaches now, it looks like it might crash into the truck. Whoever is behind the wheel, they are having a hard time driving the car.

"Pull back! It's gonna crash into us if this goes on."

Nichkhun stars backing up immediately and they avoid the crash the last second as the unknown car slides off the road and crashes into a sturdy bush. "Go go go." Chansung hurries Junho and they flee the truck to see if the driver's okay.

The crash doesn't look that bad, but when Chansung opens the door, he's shocked. There's a man behind the wheel with multiple gunshot wounds all over his torso. He still looks conscious though as a painful moan escapes his mouth, covered in blood.

"What happened to you?!" Chansung asks leaning in, perfectly knowing he cannot do anything for the man as he's counting the last minutes of his life. There's too much blood, he probably has an internal bleeding as well.

The man huffs, looking at Chansung in horror. "For the love of God... Do not... Go that road..." He coughs blood, dark droplets landing on the panel.

"What? Why?" He asks again, gripping harder onto the car door.

"Cannibals..." The man groans and starts breathing deeper as his lungs are probably giving out. "Many, many cannibals... Some... Are chasing me. Run... Away..." He stops breathing right before the final warning.

"What the fuck?" Taecyeon says behind Chansung.

"You heard him. We cannot go that way. It's too dangerous." Chansung says and notices more of his men standing behind. They walk back to the truck and Chansung's stomach twists ominously, when he notices another car approaching. "Shit. Must be the cannibals. Everyone into the truck! Taec, get behind the wheel, we will cover from the back!"

Their truck turns around just in time as they're approached by the enemy and there's no hesitation when Chansung releases the first bullet. There are bullets coming their way too, but they're not very good shooters. Taecyeon speeds up more and moves in a zig zag pattern at the same time increasing the distance between the cars, while Chansung with his men continue defending themselves.

"I'm going for the jackpot." The Sergeant says and momentarily everything freezes in his field of vision, as he points his gun at the car behind them and the released bullet goes for the front tire. It blows up and he hears screams when the car goes off the road. The enemy car rolls over a few times and stops, making Chansung’s entire squad sigh in relief.

It was an exhausting chase, he thinks and sits back. They were _this_ close to experiencing something very unfortunate.

The mountain road is a challenge even for a good driver like Taecyeon. There's snow everywhere and it's already getting dark, but it doesn't seem like they're being chased anymore. Probably even cannibals are afraid of the dark. Chansung's still sitting at the back with the rest of his squad. Junho's by his side and there's Nichkhun and Wooyoung sitting across from them, deep in thought.

The truck takes another turn and before Chansung can register it fully, he hears Taecyeon yell _'Fuck'_ and he swears they hit something, making the car slide erratically across the slippery road. Junho's hand clasps onto Chansung’s arm immediately and there's terror in everyone's eyes, because the truck is out of control and it rides down the bushy hill. Chansung tries to hold tighter onto the bench, but the truck hits something and rolls to its side, throwing Chansung's body out of the vehicle.

His body is in pain and he groans, trying to overcome it. The Sergeant rolls onto his side and sees Junho, Nichkhun and Wooyoung, lying on the ground, not too far away from him. They must have been thrown out by the sudden impact as well since the four of them were sitting the closest to the exit. The truck is still tumbling down fast and Chansung's terrified, because seconds later it smashes into the trees.

His hearing picks up low growls and he finally realises that Taecyeon must have crashed into this herd of zombies, trying to avoid them. After the initial shock, Chansung stands up and runs over to Junho, who’s kneeling down.

"Are you okay?!" Chansung asks as he cups his lover's face. Junho nods. The Sergeant then sees Nichkhun and Wooyoung approach them; thankfully, they haven’t sustained any major injuries. Just small cuts and scratches. "We have to help them." Chansung says and when they take the first step towards the truck, everything happens in slow motion in Chansung's eyes.

The truck explodes, sending pieces of machinery flying in a wide range, a few burning parts landing near the four men standing in shock.

Chansung's breathing stops and he falls down to his knees. _How is this even possible?_ He thinks, not fully comprehending whether what’s happening is real or not. He then stands up and is about to run into the fire and the herd that's already surrounding the burning truck, but Wooyoung and Junho’s arms hold him back from rushing into the imminent death.

"Chansung!" Junho yells, his arms wrapped strongly around Chansung's waist, while Wooyoung has him restrained from the back. "Chansung!" He yells again. "We have to go!" The Sergeant's eyes dart to Nichkhun who's shooting at the zombies coming towards them, with tears in his eyes. Only one person from his squad is alive and he's still doing his job. No, this is not a job anymore. He's protecting them with the last bits of his conscience while fighting the grief.

They run. Chansung's in a daze and on an autopilot while Junho slashes the necks of zombies that obstruct their way.

Chansung doesn't know how long they've been running already; all he knows is that it's hard to breathe and it's completely dark, only the moonlight reflects on the snow, showing them the way. They are not being followed anymore, but they still run and after a while they spot a small cabin for mountain travellers, hiding among massive fir trees.

The door is unlocked and when they get in, Junho shuts it with a clasp from the inside. Chansung slumps down on one of the 3 bunks beds and stares at the wall, while Wooyoung lights up two candles. He's still got his backpack on.

The silence inside the cabin feels heavy as Chansung's feelings are in a complete chaos. Everyone’s catching their breath.

"You." Nichkhun snaps after a while as he walks over to Junho, who’s leaning back against the bunk bed across from Chansung. Nichkhun's voice awakens Chansung and he stares at the only member of the original squad who's still alive. "It's your fault."

It' the first time Chansung hears Nichkhun's voice being so harsh. He never thought it was possible to hear him talk like that. However, Chansung doesn't have the strength to say anything or stop him. He just stares.

"Wait..." Junho pushes at Nichkhun's chest gently, but the latter grabs him by his collar, anger burning deep inside his eyes.

"I won't stay quiet about this anymore. You little bitch; you wrapped Chansung around your little finger and made him leave the only safe place we had a chance at. All because of your assumptions about the fucking lab, which we don't know if it still exists." He pushes harder and Chansung gulps at the view unfolding in front of him.

"Wait, Nichkhun..." Chansung says gently and stands up.

"No!" He retorts, consumed by grief. "We lost not only our team-mates, but our friends, too!" Chansung looks down, barely able to refrain from crying. He lost his parents to a car accident, now, this too... Just how unlucky do you have to be to lose precious people in the same manner more than once? His heart bleeds with sorrow, the pain is too hard to handle.

"I'm sorry!" Junho yells out. "I'm really sorry! I know my apologies won't bring them back to life, but I swear this is not what I wanted! I thought we could make it... I really did."

"But this is what we have now!" Khun yells back, his rage getting stronger.

"Hey, why don't you just spit out the truth for once and show us what you have beneath that band-aid." Wooyoung’s serene voice startles everyone and as Chansung's gaze returns to Junho's face, he can see fear. Junho's eyes are pleading him to stop whatever is happening here.

"Wha-" Chansung tries to speak up, but Wooyoung's voice cuts him.

"How long has he been covering his neck for? There is no wound that would heal this long or would need to be covered. Unless you're hiding something." Wooyoung walks closer to Chansung, who's standing there idly like an empty vessel. "You know I'm saying the truth. I heard you and Taecyeon share your doubts about it. And I'm pretty sure you tried to get the truth directly from Junho at some point, since you’re... Close.” Wooyoung’s stares at the Sergeant’s icy expression. “What was his answer?" Chansung's eyes dart to Junho, who's shaking his head slowly, still pleading for defence against Nichkhun and Wooyoung.

"He said... I'm thinking too much..." Chansung's voice is quiet, the one of a broken man.

"Well then, let's see if all of us are thinking too much!" Nichkhun screams into Junho's face and rips off the band-aid.

Nichkhun pulls away for everyone to see Junho's neck. Chansung forgets how to breathe correctly for a moment when he sees an unusual scar. Two rows of teeth marks perfectly healed.

"You've been bit." Chansung concludes defeated and his face contorts in pain; the feeling of someone you hold dear betraying you always hits hard. "You lied to me. Right in my face." He clenches his fist and stomps over to Junho as the latter closes his eyes, but Chansung's fist never lands on his face.

Junho opens his eyes and finds Chansung looking down at him, his hands placed near his ears as the taller male leans in. "What else did you lie about?" He whispers so that only Junho can hear. "Was I just a toy to use in your sick selfish game full of lies? Was I just a thing to use in order to get what you want?"

"No! I swear it wasn't like that!" Junho whispers, his fingers trying to grasp onto Chansung's chest, but the latter swats his hands away and stares at Junho with contempt.

"I hate liars." He scoffs and then turns around, ignoring the hurt look on Junho's face, because he deserves it. But he hates himself more, because at the same time, he still loves Junho and it's even harder to deal with such conflicting emotions. Chansung wants to be alone. His friends have just died and the person, who was supposed to be the shoulder of support, is a liar. Chansung doesn't even know if what they had was real. He cannot trust Junho anymore.

"I'll tell you everything." Junho's voice cuts the thick silence and Chansung turns around, with an expression of disappointment on his face. Junho's face, on the other hand, looks determined. Broken, but determined. "I will not lie, not anymore."

[ ](http://s66.photobucket.com/user/ielektrinta/media/8406_original.png.html)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks @egle0702 for editing!

The flames of the two candles flicker slightly, when Junho sits down on the bottom bunk bed, resting his arms on his knees, fingers entwined tightly. He sighs and stares at the floor, wishing he could repair this situation all of them are in, but he can't do it. Junho's just a human being, who sometimes makes bad decisions. No one would like to have a liar on their team, so he can understand Chansung's contempt, especially when you share a close bond. Junho cannot justify himself fully, he knows that, but at least he can try to make Chansung and everyone else understand why he has been hiding the truth. Now, he wishes he had opened up earlier. He’s lost Chansung's trust because of those lies and hurt him deeply.

He finally dares to raise his head and looks at Chansung, but the latter's gaze is fixed on the candle light. His big body is slumped on the bottom bunk bed across, no sign of his usual firm posture; he’s completely crushed. Junho wants to embrace him. He wants to tell Chansung that he can get through this pain of loss. He wants to support him in any way he can, but he knows Chansung wouldn't let him. Not now. Perhaps telling him the truth will change something for the better. That's Junho's only hope and he must hold onto it to stay strong. For the both of them.

Nichkhun sits down beside the Sergeant, while Wooyoung chooses a chair by the table. They are facing Junho, ready to hear his story.

Junho's eyes linger on Wooyoung's profile, and he grits his teeth. He’s never liked him; probably because Wooyoung can be as ambiguous as him, but more so because the technician seems to have a selfish and cunning side; you can never relax around a person like that. Junho wonders what it would take to make Wooyoung be completely honest about his actions, but, at the moment, Junho doesn't want to have anything to do with this person. He made Chansung question Junho's loyalty and, possibly, feelings.

Nichkhun is looking at Chansung gently, worried about him, and Junho knits his eyebrows seeing the brotherly love between them; he really cares about the Sergeant. Nichkhun is kind; however, that doesn't make him weak. Junho could feel Nichkhun wasn't completely relaxed around him, like the rest of Chansung's squad. He often gave Junho suspicious looks, but never tried to get the truth out of him. Most likely, he thought Chansung was capable of that and these men put their trust in their leader.

Junho had almost confessed to Chansung that night, but something stopped him. Probably the same fear that had made him keep his mouth shut all this time. He’s not sure what kind of reaction he will get because there were some things he had to do at that time. And it weren’t nice things.

"It all began when we were supposed to meet people from the facility. We caught their radio signal, telling us there was a safe place." Junho begins. "We were attacked by the 3R at the rendezvous point and I got bit at that time. I was exhausted and didn't notice the last one creeping up behind me." Junho shudders at the memory of the rotten bloody teeth piercing through his skin; the pain was overwhelming. "I didn't have any bullets left, so I couldn't kill myself. I was in shock and I didn’t want to turn into one of them," he licks his lips, recalling the desperation he was in. "But as I waited, nothing happened. I didn't turn. I simply could not believe it, so I was just kneeling among my dead comrades and zombies until the truck headlights came into my vision." Junho smirks and notices how Nichkhun's eyebrows furrow. "I thought they were there to help me, but I was wrong."

"What?" Nichkhun asks, hardly believing it. Of course, why would he believe a liar?

"They noticed the bite mark on my neck, and I told them all about it and how I didn't turn, hoping this would make them at least smile with joy, but they just handcuffed me and brought me back to the facility to be their guinea pig." Chansung finally glances at him, curiosity reflecting in his empty eyes. "Say, have you ever been to the research department?" Chansung shakes his head.

"It was off limits for everyone, except one squad." Nichkhun says as he stares at the wall beside Junho. His gaze is full of memories.

"Have you ever wondered why?" Junho asks and this time Wooyoung speaks up.

"Just basic security protocol." He shrugs. "They didn't want the area to be contaminated in any way as they were trying to develop the cure."

"That's what they told you." Junho sighs as he closes his eyes and he remembers the horror he had to go through while being there. "In reality, it was a place for the most inhumane research to be conducted." Everyone stares at him dubiously. "They didn't really try to find a cure."

"Bullshit." Nichkhun spits it out.

"Well, at first they tried it with my blood, but they failed and couldn't understand why. So, they focused on other things. Experiments." Junho tries to find the right words, because the three men in front of him have little trust in what he has to say. It's also hard to go back to the place he has been locked up in, even if it's just a memory. He'd rather forget it. "They injected me with zombie blood."

If he didn't have a proper attention before, now all eyes were glued on his face. It's tiny, but there's a glint of worry on Chansung's face. Junho smiles sullenly.

"Hold on," Wooyoung interrupts. "This can't be true. Why would they do that?"

"To see if I really had the immunity against the zombie virus. They didn't care if I lived or not. They just wanted to see my limits and satisfy their hunger for science."

"How..." Nichkhun gulps. "How did that test go?"

"I didn't turn. Again." Junho's barely visible grin is morbid.

"So, what does that make you?" Wooyoung asks, more with curiosity than remorse.

"What does your detector say?" Junho answers with another question and Wooyoung frowns slightly.

"It doesn't detect the virus, just the difference in body heat. Zombies have a much lower temperature than us." He explains. "You were never on the radar. You can't be a zombie, clearly."

"True. However," Junho looks at Chansung meaningfully. "If you ever touched my skin, you'd feel it's slightly warmer than usual."

Chansung opens his mouth and then he purses his lips into a thin line. He nods as everyone stares at him.

"It's been like that ever since I got bit. It became my regular temperature. That's one of the few changes I have experienced since the virus has entered my body."

"Few? There's more?" This time there’s less hostility in Nichkhun’s voice. Junho nods.

"I got stronger. And I can walk among the zombies without being noticed. Have you ever seen me being attacked by any of them?" He glances at everyone in silence as they realise they can't remember anything like that ever happening. There’s something in Chansung’s eyes too as he probably recalls the time only the two of them fought the zombies at the police department. Back then, Junho attacked the zombies first, before they could reach Chansung. It took a lot of effort to protect Chansung.

"So, you can waltz right through them and they won't even touch you?" Nichkhun's expression is drenched in disbelief.

"Correct." Junho nods. "There must be something different about my smell that doesn't attract them. That's the only logical explanation I can come up with."

Everyone processes the information they have just received, not really sure what to make of it. Junho knows it must be hard to hear all of this and, more importantly, to accept it. He bonded with the virus and that's how it is.

"If that's the case..." Chansung's voice cuts through the silence and sends shivers down Junho's spine. "Why did you need us to get to the laboratory? You could have just walked along the zombies; they don't attack you. Why did you tempt my squad into fulfilling your dream? Why did you lie to us?"

_To me_ , Junho's pretty sure that's what Chansung wants to say.

His heart drops. The accusing tone in Chansung voice is harsh, even though it sounds rather calm. How should he explain this to Chansung? Junho exhales and looks down at his fingers. He needs to reveal everything to the last bit.

"I was afraid." Junho looks away, biting on his lower lip nervously. "Back at the facility, I've seen other people being tortured. They were being turned; even the ones from the facility. I don't know if you've noticed some disappearances, but those weren't accidental. They were turned into guinea pigs too. The scientists..." Junho gulps. "They did horrible things. It was a slaughterhouse. They made injections with my blood to turn people. Just to see if they can become something else, like me. I'm sorry; it's really hard to talk about this." Junho wipes his damp eyes, trying to collect himself as the memories flood him. 

"At some point, the virus must have mutated, because the outcome of those experiments was what led the entire building into destruction. Those who were turned using my blood, turned out to be extremely rabid and strong. The scientists didn't expect that and one of them was bit. He turned extremely fast, too. Just a few seconds and _bam_! He's gone. Everything turned into chaos just under a minute. I saw this opportunity as a chance to escape. I managed to get out of my confinement; however, I didn't want any of those mutants to get out of the building. So, I set the biohazard alarm." Junho hears a gasp and he doesn't need to look up to know that he's being stared at. They don't say anything and Junho accepts this as a permission to go on. 

"I also did that because I was blinded by fear and revenge. I wasn't thinking straight back then and I don't want to justify myself, but trust me, you'd lose your mind being a guinea pig, too. I hated everyone." Junho clenches his fists. "Before I set the biohazard alarm, I called in the squad from the rooftop and told them to keep the door open because there was a fire in the research department. They didn't question me as they went down from the rooftop only to be caught by the rabid ones. I ran to the rooftop and managed to shut the door before any of those newly turned mutant zombies got out." Junho sighs. "I thought I was going to die there, together with everyone, because I didn't think through my escape plan very well, apparently. I could have died or broken my legs by jumping off the building; I couldn’t have run away from the explosion with broken limbs. But then... I heard your voices."

"What a coincidence..." Wooyoung scoffs.

"I didn't have a choice so I asked for your help." Junho ignores Wooyoung's bitter remark. "I didn't know if you had anything to do with the experiments, if you knew me, or anything. I just thought I'd use you to escape and then go my own way. You seemed to be clueless about my existence though and I jumped into your arms." Junho moves forward and stands up, placing his hands in the pockets as he walks over to the table, staring at the candles.

"Seeing how you cared for the people inside, I realised that I made a mistake by imprisoning everyone in there without giving them a chance to survive. My rage was changed with regret. The more time I spent with you, the more I realised how incorrect and harsh my judgement was. Your squad," he looks at Chansung who wears a troubled expression. "Was completely different from what I had anticipated. 

So, I thought, offering you to go to the laboratory would make your chances of survival bigger since it seemed to be a safe place. I heard about it while I was being experimented on; the scientists had said the laboratory in the South did not approve of their methods and cut all the contact with them, because it was not acceptable what they were doing with the living people. So, I figured, it was not a cruel place; they could probably give me some answers about my condition, the virus and all that jazz.

I also wanted to redeem myself, hoping I would feel less guilty, because I managed to bring an entire healthy squad with me. However, being immune to the virus, I didn't realise how dangerous it could be for you. I thought I was doing something for the good of your squad, but because of me now I'm telling this story only to the three of you." Junho shifts so he can see all of them. "I wish I could have been more honest with you. But what I regret the most now is that I didn't die back then. Everyone would still be alive if I had; innocent people at the facility, your squad... Now, I'm just a monster." Junho exhales and rubs his eyelids with his fingers. It feels like his existence brings only bad things, and for some reason he still lives and has to witness it all. "I'm sorry, I have to get some fresh air."

He walks outside past the conflicted men and shuts the door behind him, inhaling the cold air of the mountains. You'd think getting all of this off his chest would make it lighter, but it doesn't. Junho's been battling his own emotions since the zombie had bit him and it's even harder now. What makes it harder is his feelings towards Chansung. That look, full of contempt and grief, Junho got from Chansung earlier hit him hard.

Junho sits down on the porch, arms on his knees. He stares at the imprints of their footsteps in the snow. How many times did he wish to die while going through all those horrendous tests? But the death had always let him pass: he survived the bite, he survived the tests, he survived the explosion, and he survived this car crash. Does his luck have a limit? Even with all that, Junho doesn't think he's that fortunate, knowing that behind this wall there is a person he fell in love with so quickly, and that person detests him now. Junho didn't even notice how he got so comfortable around Chansung. He just has this aura of kindness that sucks you in. He's very thoughtful, brave, honest, strict, and yet gentle at the same time. Would he be lenient enough about Junho’s actions, though? 

Junho runs his fingers through his hair; it's gotten pretty long. Vapour escapes his mouth. It's so quiet here. Junho thinks the entire world is one huge cemetery. Chansung's squad is a part of it now too, and Junho cannot do anything about it.

Junho already misses him: Chansung's warm fingers touching his skin, soft lips kissing him, whispering something ridiculous into his ear. Junho reclines his head back and exhales. He'd do anything to make him smile again, to look at him the way he did before the crash. Junho wants that trust back.

No one says anything when he comes back; enough has been said. He sees there’s a lit fireplace, which he hasn’t notice before. Wooyoung must have tended to it while Junho was out as the technician puts down the fire poker down and goes to sleep. 

Everyone lies in their beds in silence, only the sounds from the fireplace interrupting it. Junho's sure no one’s asleep as he can hear people tossing in their beds from time to time. Too much has happened. Junho has no idea what they're going to do tomorrow, or whether they're going to do anything at all. Perhaps they want Junho gone. He has no clue as he feels like he's an open wound on someone's face.

After some time Junho begins to feel drowsy. The fire is almost gone too. Just as he closes his eyes, there's a loud thud behind the door on the porch.

Junho sits up in his bunk quickly, everyone’s doing the same. He grabs his sword and comes closer to the door. Chansung gives him an understanding nod as Nichkhun stands behind Junho with an empty gun. That's the only firearm they have and it's useless without the bullets.

Wooyoung's standing a bit further from Nichkhun and looks scared. Junho smirks. Maybe he should let him go first, since he's such a fucking smartass. Wooyoung notices Junho's fierce eyes and glares back annoyed. Junho doesn't ask him for the device and he doesn't need it; if there's a zombie he can deal with it easily. He just has to shut the door to save Chansung and Nichkhun from being bit. Wooyoung can go fuck himself.

Junho touches the clasp and unhinges it. He swings the door open and stops when he notices a body kneeling on the porch.

"T..." Junho gulps and Chansung rushes past him, but Junho catches his arm. "Wait! He might be-" Junho almost cries at the painful look Chansung gives him.

"I'm alive..." The man wheezes and Junho lets go of Chansung’s arm.

Junho has to clench his teeth to compose himself as Chansung falls to his knees and hugs Taecyeon's weak form. Nichkhun follows and there's a quiet sniffling as they lock Taecyeon in their embrace. Taecyeon yelps at the power and love surrounding him and Junho can see a warm but painful smile on his bruised face.

"He's injured." Junho says gently, not wanting to ruin the precious moment.

Chansung and Nichkhun pull away and they notice there's something wrong with Taecyeon's left arm. There's a bloody knife in his right hand and it seems like he had to fight his way through some zombies while injured. His face and body look exhausted. 

Chansung helps him up and they walk into the cabin where Wooyoung has already lit the candles and rekindled the fire.

"My shoulder," Taecyeon says as he settles down on the chair. "I think it's dislocated. And my fingers..." Everyone takes a look at his fingers and the view makes them frown. His pinkie and ring finger are in such a terrible state they barely hold onto the skin. "Yeah, nasty." He chuckles weakly.

Junho doesn't get surprised when Chansung and Nichkhun glance at him expectantly: He has taken care of Chansung's head injury after all. They know he has some medical knowledge and they expect to hear a solution.

He’s never thought being a surgeon's son would pay off someday, but Junho nods and squats on one knee to take a better look. While growing up, Junho's father had always made sure his biology knowledge would be top notch and beyond regular. He was probably hoping to lure Junho into the world of medicine, but the boy chose a different path.

Junho touches Taecyeon's hand and he sighs, realising these two fingers must to be amputated.

"I cannot save his crushed fingers. I'm sorry, but we have to remove them, before anything worse happens."

"Are you joking?" Nichkhun's in shock, a deep frown of worry between his eyebrows.

"I wish. I doubt even a skilled doctor could save this. And we don’t have a skilled doctor." Junho lets go of Taecyeon's hand.

"Hey, maybe I can get prosthetics with longer fingers since you guys always make fun of my small hands." Taecyeon jokes, but there's no joy in this room as everyone's giving him a sympathetic look. Taecyeon looks down, gnawing on his lips. The mask of carelessness falls off immediately when Taecyeon realises how worried everyone is about him.

"I can fix your shoulder." Junho cuts the tension and Taecyeon nods. He takes off Taecyeon’s winter coat and carefully removes the top part of the jumpsuit, so his dislocated shoulder and arm are fully exposed. "Lie down on the floor." Chansung helps him down and Junho gets in a position to perform the Kocher's method. Taecyeon closes his eyes when Junho lifts his arm, supporting his elbow and wrist, while doing rotating motions. Junho feels resistance soon as Taecyeon frowns and groans.

"You're really strong, Taecyeon. I don't know how you got out of there alive, but it's impressive you made it here with these injuries." Junho says, distracting Taecyeon from the unpleasant feeling.

"I jumped out of the car right after it took a turn down the mountain." He groans when a feeling in his shoulder changes and it's better now. Junho is done with the procedure. "My landing was far from graceful, I hit some sharps rocks. Then, I heard the explosion. I thought I was the only one left alive, but then I saw you running away. I couldn't follow you right away though; that herd was closing in on me, so I had to take a different route. Got some zombies in my way, of course, but thanks to the snow, I found your tracks some time later. You know, being there all alone is scary." Taecyeon looks away, his facial features tensing at the thought.

"You're not alone anymore," Chansung squeezes Taecyeon’s healthy shoulder. "I thought you were gone... Along with the rest of them." He says quietly.

"Yeah..." Taecyeon's gaze is distant.

Junho waits a little before he interrupts the moment.

"I'm going to see if there's a first-aid kit. For your fingers." He glances at the damaged flesh and Taecyeon nods. Junho has never done this before and he tries to calm his nerves, because he has only one chance to do the amputation right. Also, everyone thinks he can do it and dealing with that kind of pressure alone is difficult enough. 

Junho rummages through the shelves and finds a red box. There are a few rolls of bandages, some medicine and a sewing kit for the wounds. Once again, they're lucky that no one had used this before as these mountain cabins are usually open for everyone who wants to make a stop before climbing even higher. Junho also looks for an axe, but this time his luck runs out. He'll have to use either his sword or a knife. Junho settles for a sword since it's much sharper and turns around to see everyone's looking at him expectantly.

"Are you sure about it?" Nichkhun inquires, fidgeting slightly.

"I'm not a surgeon, but I'll do my best to make it quick." Junho admits it's not going to be easy. He kneels beside Taecyeon, disinfects his own hands, the blade and Taecyeon's hand, then he wraps a rope over Taecyeon's arm, so there wouldn't be too much blood loss. Junho notices how his own breathing gets faster.

"You'll do great." Chansung says and Junho looks up surprised. He’s probably noticed how tense Junho is. He nods, a warm feeling spreading across his chest as Chansung's words of encouragement fill him with happiness and confidence.

"Can you hold the rest of his fingers up?" Junho asks the Sergeant and the latter moves to kneel beside him, bending Taecyeon's fingers upwards, so they wouldn't get damaged in the process. Junho looks at Taecyeon's face, all sweaty and full of fear. "I think you should get something hard between your teeth." Taecyeon gulps and nods as Nichkhun grabs a knife and wraps the handle with a cloth, placing it in his friend's mouth.

Junho takes more pieces of cloth and wraps it around the tip of the blade so he could push it down quickly and cut Taecyeon's fingers off. His actions must be precise. Sweat beads form on Junho's forehead and above his upper lip, while he places the sword above Taecyeon's crashed and swollen fingers. The sharp edge of the blade touches Taecyeon's skin, when Junho chooses the right spot for the impact. All Junho has to do now is to push the blade down with his entire strength. 

Junho gnaws on his lips and concentrates, seeing nothing but the cold metal and the purple skin. He pushes the blade down with everything he's got.

Taecyeon's scream is muffled and his muscles are hard as a rock, the pain shooting through his entire body mercilessly. He blacks out immediately and Junho uses this chance to sew up the skin in the fastest way possible. There's blood gushing lightly, but not too much, thanks to the tourniquet made from a simple rope.

Junho's done sewing and he disinfects the wound once again, wrapping it with a bandage. While Taecyeon is still unconscious, Junho immobilizes his shoulder to avoid any unnecessary movements for the time being.

It seems like everything’s turned out pretty successful and Junho sighs, getting up on his feet. Chansung and Nichkhun carry Taecyeon's unconscious body to the bed, while Junho picks up the amputated fingers and the sword with his bloody hands. He makes his way towards the exit to wash off all the blood with the snow. At least they don't have to worry about dehydration and water here.

Only now his hands start shaking, feeling the cold snow between his fingers and Junho's figure slumps, leaning on his hands while kneeling down. It was a hell of a procedure. How could his father deal with all that surgery jazz? It's too much responsibility, not to mention the mess.

It'd be great to meet him now. He would scold Junho for being reckless, but he would be proud of his son’s courage. His mother would smile at them both, standing a bit further. Tears well up in Junho's eyes because he’s never got to say goodbye to his parents. The last time he saw them they were roamers. Junho had to end their life for them.

When he comes back to the cabin, Taecyeon's awake and gives him an exhausted smile. Junho smiles back and realises that soon Taecyeon probably won't be smiling at him anymore, because he will be told his story. He will hate him like the rest in the house.

Junho lies down and stares at the bunk above him. People often wonder what they'd do if they had the ability to time travel. Junho thinks about this and if he had that power... No, if he changed anything then he wouldn't have met Chansung.

Even if it hurts now, it didn't in the past. In a short period of time he has experienced so much more than during all his life up until the explosion. He might die tomorrow or maybe a bit later, but that uncertainty helps you realise your feelings quicker. There's no place for the push and pull game when you don't have the time for it. Thinking back, Junho has never gotten into a relationship so fast. However, this is a different world.

As he thinks that, a shadow blocks the candle light. Junho tilts his head and sees Chansung standing near his bed.

Chansung's gaze doesn't waver when he meets Junho's eyes. He just looks so tired.

"Thank you." Chansung says quietly and turns around, blowing out the candle.

 

The next day everyone sleeps in as the last night was so exhausting. Junho gets up first and goes out to find some wood for the fireplace. Since there's no axe, he cannot chop the trees. His stomach rumbles, bringing it to his attention that he hasn't eaten anything since yesterday lunch. They don't have any food with them and it doesn't look like there's anything edible in this mountain. Junho rips off a fir tree branch, looking at the needle-like leaves.

"Well, I could make a snow and fir tree soup..." He mumbles unenthusiastically.

Junho walks around some more, picking up fallen branches and tearing some off from healthy trees. All their food, guns and other supplies were lost in the explosion. How the hell are they supposed to find food in these circumstances? Wooyoung's the only one who's still got his backpack because he's such a paranoid bastard he always glues it to himself. Junho has to admit this thinking has paid off though. And if he has anything in his backpack, he's definitely not going to share it with Junho, since he clearly has some sort of a grudge against him. Not that Junho likes him either.

Junho hasn't seen any wild animals yet. If there's any left, they must be extremely cautious. Also, you can't hunt them down without a proper gun. They must get off these mountains soon; otherwise they might not make it to the secret laboratory due to starvation. Junho squats, ready to dig for some juicy roots.

He feels someone move behind him and turns around with a dirty knife in his hands, only to see Wooyoung walking towards him. He probably wants the wood Junho has.

"You need this?" Junho asks, pointing at the sticks and branches with his knife.

"Yeah," Wooyoung stops at the pile, but doesn't pick it up. He just stares at Junho, his tongue itching, clearly.

"What?" Junho stands up.

"You know, if I were you, I would just leave." Wooyoung's words pierce through him in the harshest way possible and Junho clenches the knife in his hand.

"Unless Chansung tells me to, I won't." Junho answers calmly, despite the fact he’s burning inside. The asshole has the nerve to preach him even after he explained everything. The people who died weren’t even his close friends, why is he so worked up about him staying?

"Haven't you done enough to disappoint him, though?" Wooyoung raises an eyebrow, obviously meaning to stab Junho deeper. The technician wants to break him.

"What's your problem with me, huh?" Junho takes a step closer. Then, something arises in his head, and he smirks knowingly. The thought has been there all along, but Junho just didn’t think of it too much of it as he didn’t see Wooyoung as a threat.

"Your ass is jealous because it didn't get fucked by him, isn't it? Always trying to kiss his ass, trying to impress him, and whatnot. You're a fucking loser who can't admit his defeat, Wooyoung. It's not even his squad you care about. You care only about yourself."

Wooyoung's face turns into a porcelain mask with wide eyes full of anger. Wooyoung lunges forward and tries to hit Junho in the face, but he's just a toddler compared to Junho and his set of skills, so he falls on his knees into the snow as Junho avoids him swiftly.

"Truth hurts, doesn't it?" Junho squats in front of him, enjoying the moment when he’s finally managed to wipe off that smug grin off Wooyoung's face.

"Shut the fuck up." He hisses.

"Are you done?" A familiar voice interrupts them and Junho glances at Taecyeon, who's looking slightly better this morning. "Get that wood and take care of the fireplace." Taecyeon says sternly, looking at Wooyoung. The latter gets up, grabs the sticks and storms off into the cabin.

Junho stands up and puts his knife back into the pocket as Taecyeon looks at him with a strict, but curious expression. 

"You heard it all, didn't you?"

"Yeah." Taecyeon admits and Junho's ready to get his scolding. This is what you get for being the most hated person in the group. "But your words spoke the truth. That kid is just bitter." Junho raises his eyebrows surprised as Taecyeon comes closer to him. Did he actually just stand up for him?

"They probably haven't told you the truth about me yet..." Junho mumbles, looking away. _Otherwise you'd be on Wooyoung's side_ , he keeps those words to himself.

"Oh no, they told me everything." Junho looks back at him, but he sees no contempt on Taecyeon’s face. "While I agree that the truth hurts, we cannot possibly blame all of it solely on you. We chose to go that road. You didn't force us. It's just life, you know. People make bad decisions; that's what makes us human. We're vulnerable, especially when there are negative emotions involved. Moreover, you had to deal with a lot of shit on your own."

Junho's muscles tighten up and he looks away, a huge lump stuck in his throat. It's so relieving to feel someone's support and the tears well up in his eyes unexpectedly. His vision is shadowed when Taecyeon's healthy arm wraps around his shoulders and he leans into the taller male's embrace, pressing his forehead onto Taecyeon's chest. 

It brings a smile to Junho's face when Taecyeon ruffles his hair.

"I'm pretty sure you're a good person, that's why you are still here, trying to do your best even though you're bombarded with conflicting emotions. As for Chansung," Taecyeon pulls back to look at Junho as the latter quickly wipes off his tears. "He just needs time to forgive you."

"Honestly, are you a saint?" Taecyeon's loud laugh fills Junho's ears and he smiles back.

"Nah, I'm just a guy who's smart and reasonable." He winks at a smiling Junho. "I'm also sexy, but that's for the ladies to see." Then his eyes soften as he gets more serious. "Thank you for fixing my arm and fingers. It really means a lot. To all of us."

"I'm just glad it all ended well, more or less, so..." Junho shrugs, pursing his lips. "It's the least I could do."

"So modest." Taecyeon grins and ushers Junho to the cabin.

If this man wasn't here, Junho would’ve been left in a complete darkness. With his return, Taecyeon brought back a ray of hope. Just knowing he doesn't harbour any hard feelings towards Junho brings some peace to his heart. Even if it's just one person ready to accept him, it's fine. It'd be too luxurious to have everyone's forgiveness so quickly. He trusts Taecyeon's words and hopes Chansung won't take months to forgive him. But even if he does, Junho's ready to wait.

When they come back, Nichkhun and Wooyoung are sitting at the table, while Chansung stands near the fireplace. He probably has something important to say and Junho gulps down a bundle of worries, as he doesn’t know what to expect. Is he going to cast him away?

Taecyeon pushes him forward to sit on the chair and Junho does so, while the taller male takes a seat beside him. Wooyoung ignores Junho's presence, Nichkhun seems to be indifferent, and Chansung has a troubled expression on his face. This _must_ be about their further trip.

"So," Chansung begins, crossing his arms over his chest. "We have to decide what to do now." he seems to be doing better today; must be Taecyeon's influence. There's more confidence in his voice and the broken man from yesterday seems to be gone. At least on the outside.

"Are you still thinking about going to the laboratory?" Nichkhun asks and Chansung sighs, leaning on the table.

"Do we have a better option?"

"We could go back to Yubin's..." Wooyoung mumbles.

"And do what? Sit there and wait for a miracle?" Taecyeon retorts and Wooyoung gnaws on his lip. He's still embarrassed Taecyeon saw the scene from before.

"But it's safe..." Nichkhun says, glancing at Taecyeon's arm eloquently.

"What makes you think we won't meet those cannibals on our way back? Moreover, we don't have a vehicle or guns, and the lab's much closer. Also," Taecyeon's voice gets softer. "If you worry about my condition, I'm fine. I can walk and even defend myself. I got here after all, didn't I?"

Nichkhun smiles gingerly at his friend’s stubbornness.

Junho sits quietly until Chansung finally addresses him. "What do you think?" Junho raises his eyebrows, all eyes on him.

"You know what I think..." He says and looks down. Junho still wants to go to the laboratory; he needs answers.

"Okay, I'll ask you this way then," Chansung's strict voice makes him look up. "What would you do to get to the lab?"

"I know what I wouldn't do. I wouldn't drag you there if you were against it. But if I have to go there all by myself, I'm up for it. That's how much I believe the lab's still fully operational." Junho's honest answer seems to satisfy Chansung as he walks away from the table. "You could stay here though, honestly. It's safer, you have fire, beds. I can go alone. I'd come back after seeing what the lab's all about."

"And what if they turn out to be sadists, like at the facility?" Junho's taken aback by Chansung's cold remark.

"I..." He can't find the words, because Chansung's got a point. Despite the fact that the lab, according to the scientists who experimented him, was against their methods, there wasn’t a 100% guarantee that it was a humane zone.

"We're going. Together." Chansung says without a doubt in his voice.

"Seriously?" Wooyoung barks out and receives a death glare from Chansung.

"You can stay here and starve, if you want to." Chansung's leadership is overwhelming and Wooyoung just shrinks in his chair. _Coward_ , Junho scoffs inwardly.

"When are we leaving?" Taecyeon asks.

"I think we should move today. Perhaps we will find some food on our way too. Let's see what other useful stuff we can find in this cabin, and then we can leave." Chansung concludes the meeting.

Everyone stands up and starts rummaging around. Junho's eyes linger on Taecyeon's arm as the latter folds a blanket with some struggle and it occurs to him, that Taecyeon's has brought so much stability to the team. Taecyeon's like glue that sticks everyone together. Without him, there would be only separate shards.

Junho suddenly feels dizzy and he manages to hold onto the top of the bed frame to keep himself steady. He presses his forehead to his forearm and closes his eyes, waiting for it to pass. It’s not the first time this happens.

“Are you okay?” Chansung’s voice surprises him and Junho angles his head to look at the Sergeant. He looks worried.

“It’s probably just hunger. I’ll be fine.” He ensures Chansung with a smile, but Chansung just gives him a dubious look, hesitating about something.

“You told us everything, right?”

“Of course.” Junho’s eyesight finally becomes clear and he straightens up, still holding onto the top bunk with one hand.

“Okay.” Chansung nods to himself and walks away from Junho.

Junho hangs his head low, realising that he’s got a long way to go until he gets Chansung’s trust and forgiveness back. However, there’s a lingering feeling that Chansung wanted to ask something else, but he changed his mind. He frowns; looking at Chansung’s distant back as he’s helping out Taecyeon with some things.

What was on his mind?


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally done uploading the chapters from this ongoing fanfic lol. You'll have to wait for the next one :D  
> Thanks @egle0702 for editing!

Even if it's not that freezing, the lack of food and rest makes it feel like it is getting colder. It's been 4 days since they left the cabin and, so far, their journey is nothing but a challenge. Sleeping for a few hours in a cave with a small fire at their feet and the only sleeping bag under their butts, using all blankets they’ve found at the cabin to make it more tolerable. There are no friends or foes during the night as they scoot close to each other, with their only objective to share their body heat. With that, they make it one more day alive and not frozen to death. That thermos bottle Wooyoung has also helps to make it through the day even if it is just hot water with no tea leaves. 

Walking through the snow is hard and when you have no decent food to replenish yourself with it’s even more energy-consuming. All they have had in their stomachs is snow, fir-tree leaves and occasionally some roots. You can smell desperation in the air, when they'd see a bird fly by, because their mouths would start salivating at the mere sight of it.

They’ve stopped paying attention to the sounds of hunger coming from their bodies. It seems like there is no end to these goddamned mountains and they don’t know how much more they can endure.

Junho feels slightly guilty, because whatever that virus has done to his body, he still feels rather strong compared to the rest. He'd also be in front of the line, because of security measures and his immunity. However, they haven’t encountered any zombies so far and it helped to preserve their so much needed strength. Even Taecyeon lost his carefree attitude and when someone like Taecyeon gets serious, you know the struggle to survive is real.

The sun is blinding today and Junho has to narrow his eyes not to bump into random obstacles. Judging by the position of the sun, it's probably late lunchtime.

If there's someone Junho has been quite impressed by lately it's Wooyoung, because even if he's not a trained soldier, he deals with this situation rather stoically. Junho has been expecting more whining like the usual, but perhaps this trial is finally making the technician toughen up. Junho wonders, whether Wooyoung will remain the same or go back to his cheeky self when and if they get to a less demanding environment.

Junho walks downhill and there's movement in his peripheral vision, which makes him stop. Chansung stops on his left and they both stare at the same thing. Like a divine apparition, there's a deer eating tree bark some fifty meters away. Chansung signals to squat so the animal doesn't notice them and he glances at Junho, whispering: "I'll throw my knife and injure it. Then, we will catch it." Junho nods, already salivating at the thought of eating the deer. The others have hungry eyes too, carnal instincts taking over.

The deer doesn't suspect a thing as it’s probably not used to seeing people here, and Chansung has a great opportunity to measure his aim visually. Junho watches Chansung's profile, seeing determination on his face, and knows the knife will reach the target. It's the chase that's going to be hard and only the strongest will be able to run after the deer till the end.

Chansung throws the knife and it pierces the deer's neck, immediately causing the animal to panic as it bellows in pain and leaps forward. Junho runs behind it and Chansung's moving nearby with Nichkhun, Taecyeon and Wooyoung a bit further. The deer is fighting the agony, but it isn’t slowing down, and after a while Junho's huffing with only Chansung behind him. Exhaustion aside, Taecyeon probably still feels pain in his shoulder and cannot run very fast. Nichkhun and Wooyoung wouldn’t leave him alone too. However, Junho and Chansung are completely concentrated on catching the deer; the rest will catch up with them easily as there's a vivid blood trail.

The deer must be finally feeling the blood loss as its movements become not so sharp, and Junho gets closer to it, sword in his hand at the ready. The animal disappears behind a hill, and as Junho runs up to the top the sun blinds him momentarily so he charges down the hill with bright yellow spheres in his eyes, not really seeing anything. Junho hears a thud and before he can react, his body feels light like a feather and his eyes shroud up as he falls into somewhere dark. His body hits something soft and warm and seconds later, Chansung lands beside him, equally confused.

Junho blinks quickly to regain his sight and when he finally does, his mouth gapes open. They fell down into a train tunnel through an opening above them; the train is off the railing and they landed in between separate train carriages on a couple of rotten bodies. The deer wheezes beneath them, its bones crushed by the duo's weight. 

"Shit." Chansung says and when Junho looks a bit further, he notices they're not alone in this tunnel. They have to abandon their still breathing food and find a way out of the darkness, because they cannot climb up the hole they fell into; it's too high.

Junho stands up and picks up his sword, while Chansung pulls the knife out of the deer's neck, blood gushing out rapidly. They move around the carriage towards the light at the end of the tunnel and Junho grins at himself ironically. "Unbelievable." With those words a body falls out of the carriage and Junho reacts quickly, slicing the head off. 

The smell in this place is atrocious but not too strong as the cold weather helps to neutralise it. Chansung stabs another zombie in the head and slowly, but surely, they get closer to the light, and as Junho looks back he sees a bunch of roamers making their way towards them. This tunnel better ends fast; that chase was exhausting enough.

Junho is having a hard time helping Chansung, but the Sergeant's doing worse, his movements getting weaker with each stab. He must be completely out of breath and energy, Junho frowns while stabbing another mindless zombie as they keep popping up from the derailed carriages.

After a while, the way is finally clear and they run away from the roamers as Chansung's legs are barely listening to him. Junho grabs the Sergeants arm and helps him, a glint of surprise on Chansung's face.

"Just how strong are you?" He asks, letting Junho lead him towards the exit.

"Strong enough to get your ass out of this shithole." Chansung smiles back as Junho drags him with a serious expression on his face, eyes fixed on the exit.

Junho's about to sing happy songs when they're out of the tunnel, but he halts immediately, pulling Chansung closer to himself as they barely make it to stop in time. "Fuck." Junho spits as he watches the view below.

The bridge leading from the tunnel is gone, most likely in an explosion, and there's a wide river some 60 meters below. There are no other escape routes. Scanning the view rapidly, in the distance, Junho sees a red rooftop as a house is standing not too far away from the river. The only problem is how to get down and reach it without killing themselves.

"Junho," Chansung's voice is almost lifeless. "Listen, you have to go back to the tunnel. You can save yourself." Junho stares at Chansung's serious face.

"Huh?"

"I'll jump down the river and you can go back. They won't bite you, so you can waltz right through them, remember?" Chansung explains calmly with bitterness in his voice.

"W..." Junho blinks, wishing he’s misheard that suggestion. Is Chansung seriously considering jumping down on his own? "Are you fucking insane?!" He screams at Chansung and the latter frowns, seeing how Junho protests the idea.

"I don't want to argue." Chansung looks at the tunnel, the sound of growling approaching them inevitably.

"I'm not even going to argue. I'm going with you." Junho says and Chansung stares at him, this time with visible anger burning in his eyes.

"Hell no, you will turn around and save yourself!" He yells out. "Move!" Chansung steps closer to the edge, and Junho grabs his hand harshly.

"What the fuck?!" He pulls Chansung closer. "Do you really think I'm letting you go on a suicide mission all by yourself, especially when you're so exhausted?!" His fingers dig deeper into Chansung's skin. It's not only about him being exhausted. Junho cannot keep quiet about the elephant in the room anymore. "What kind of a son of a bitch would leave the man he loves all by himself and run away like a coward?! There's no way in hell I'm watching you jump down and possibly die. You might hate me, but you won't get rid of me that easy. Forget it. I'm not going back alone! End of discussion!" Junho huffs, his face painted with anger and hurt. How could Chansung even suggest such a terrible thing? Does he really think Junho’s a piece of trash who’d leave him just like that?

Chansung sighs as he closes his eyes briefly. He squeezes Junho's hand back and looks so troubled it pierces Junho's chest. He doesn’t know what to think anymore. On one hand, it feels like Chansung wants to protect him. On the other hand, it feels like Chansung doesn’t want to have anything to do with him. These mixed signals drain Junho.

"Okay." Chansung says defeated and Junho licks his lips when they face the opaque river below. They take a couple of steps back and before the rotten hands can grab them, they run and jump off the cliff.

Chansung's hand squeezes Junho's hand hard, and Junho himself is short of breath as this free fall comes at the top of the list of the most frightening things he has ever experienced. Their feet hit the water hard and Junho cannot feel Chansung's hand in his anymore; his body is like a block of ice, floating under the surface. It's so damn freezing it feels like there are millions of needles stuck in his body when he tries to swim up, his heart is doing its best to pump the blood as his body is in shock.

_I need to find him._

Is the only thought in Junho's hectic mind and he musters up his strength for the sake of his beloved. Junho's arms move in powerful strokes and he breathes in above the surface looking for Chansung, but he cannot see him. Junho tries his best not to panic and he submerges again, ignoring the cold water burning his skin. He still cannot find Chansung.

_Fuck._

Panic settles in, his heartbeat is getting impatient and before he swims up for oxygen, he notices a body floating nearby. Junho has never moved so fast in his life before as he did to reach Chansung. His hands grab Chansung's winter coat and swims him to the surface, fighting the river current. Junho's muscles are in pain when he finally drags Chansung body to the shore and the realisation Chansung isn't breathing almost chokes him.

"No no no..." Junho chants as he rips the winter coat open and starts performing the CPR. "One, two, three..." He mumbles the numbers, pressing on Chansung's wet chest and noticing how his lover's lips are turning purple, skin whiter than the snow surrounding them. He tilts Chansung's head and lifts up his chin, giving him air, placing his lips over Chansung's cold mouth; he can barely feel the touch himself. Junho repeats the actions and it seems like eternity passes, looking at Chansung's lifeless body. "Don't you fucking dare!" Junho yells as there's no response, tears running down his cheeks mercilessly. "No! No!" He yells and his throat burns, still no apparent sign of life from Chansung.

 _It cannot be like this_ , Junho gives Chansung more air. 

_No, please_ , Junho pushes harder on Chansung's chest.

"Wake up!" Junho roars and hits Chansung's chest with force. He's startled when Chansung spits the water out and quickly pushes the newly revived man lie on his side to prevent him from chocking. 

Chansung rolls on his stomach and coughs while catching air hungrily. When his breathing gets back to normal, he rolls on his back and sees Junho's relieved but still worried face. 

"It's fucking cold." Chansung wheezes and Junho chuckles desperately.

Chansung's alive.

Now he has to make sure he stays that way.

"Come on, we have to find that house before we freeze to death." Junho says and helps Chansung up, both of them shivering.

With Chansung's arm hung over Junho's shoulder, they move as fast as possible in their current state. The sun is still as blinding as before, but that doesn't make them warmer. Junho knows they'll find that house soon; the most important thing is that he's not alone. He doesn't even want to think what would have happened if Chansung hadn’t come back to life. Junho was so scared, he's pretty sure he has some grey hair now. He grips tighter on Chansung's waist, but the latter doesn't seem to notice, his whole body most likely number than Junho's.

"Here it is." Junho says when they can finally see the house. It's made of rock and wood, two floors and a separate garage. When they get closer, there are no footprints visible; the house must have been abandoned for a very long time and whoever had it, probably used it for leisure only. Must be some rich person's house Junho thinks, as he kneels in front of the lock and hacks it with shaky fingers.

They almost fall inside, running away from the chilly weather. Basic security measures are forgotten, when both of them don't bother checking the house first, because, clearly, it doesn't look like they should, looking at the neat and dusty environment. They don't wait any longer as they remove their wet and cold clothing, scattering it across the floor. There is no hallway really and they're facing the living room on the left and the kitchen on the right. They run naked to grab blankets, conveniently laid on the huge sofa in front of the fireplace. Junho notices how thin Chansung’s got during those days of starving, and the taller male doesn't miss his glance, making Junho look away quickly.

He walks over to the fireplace and grabs a few logs off the floor with his shivering hands. Seconds later, Junho finds a matchbox nearby, while Chansung sits on the sofa and wraps himself into a cocoon, grabbing another blanket. It's almost like this place has been waiting for them all this time.

"What do you think Taecyeon, Nichkhun and Wooyoung are doing?" Junho asks remembering there are more people, not only the two of them in this world. He puts more paper into the fire.

"W-well..." Chansung's voice is a bit shaky. "I believe they must have seen some things from above and they will find us. At least I hope so." Junho sits down beside him and pulls his feet beneath him, grabbing another blanket. This house is a blanket sanctuary.

They sit in silence for a while as the fire grows stronger, emitting perfect heat to soothe their cold bodies.

"You're crazy, you know that?" Chansung speaks up and Junho looks at him questioningly. Is he being reprimanded?

"I don't think I'm the only one, though."

"Touché." Chansung smiles dissolving the uneasy air. "Thanks for saving my life." Junho glances at the fire, remembering how he felt not too long ago and his expression darkens. He could be sitting here alone.

"I'm sorry for putting so much pressure on you. And there's something I want to tell you." Junho looks back at Chansung's face, which is getting back its natural colour. "I don't hate you. I was mad and hurt, yes, but... I had a lot of time to think about it all. And what you said at the cliff..." Chansung turns with his entire body to face the puzzled Junho. "It was very important. You could have just left me there, but you didn't. It doesn't matter what you had to do to survive. Not anymore. Because if you hadn’t done it, I'd be dead without you. I'd be nothing. I won't have my men back, but I still have you. Junho," Chansung's hand emerges from the blankets and touches Junho's cheek, making him forget how to breathe for a moment. "I love you."

Junho gulps, feeling fireworks in his chest. "Are you sure about that?" He has to make sure he isn't dreaming.

"Very much so." Chansung closes in, his thumb brushing against Junho's cheek. "You have my forgiveness, so stop looking so miserable. You put your own life on the line for me. What could be more important?"

"Food, maybe." Chansung chuckles as Junho knits his eyebrows smiling back. Everything’s falling back into the right places slowly.

"I missed you." Chansung admits as he leans in and kisses Junho dearly.

The kiss brings relief to Junho's heart as it feels so full of love and reassurance. It has a healing power and Junho's becoming more and more complete with each movement against his lips. He has Chansung's forgiveness and it gives him freedom to be happy again, to mute that small prickling at his chest called guilt. 

Chansung opens his blankets and welcomes Junho's body, wrapping them both and sharing their heat, lying on the sofa snuggled against each other. Chansung's feet are cool against Junho's warm calves, but Junho doesn't protest when Chansung steals that warmth from him, pressing their bodies closer. Being together like this is fulfilling.

Feeling Chansung's naked skin against his brings heat to Junho's groin and as he's lying on top of Chansung, Junho can feel the latter's getting as excited as him. Junho's been craving for this closeness and now that they share it, there's no use in controlling himself anymore. He straddles the taller male's hips and kisses him harder, whispering on his lips, "There's only one way to warm you up quickly."

Their kiss is passionate as Junho's hands stroke Chansung's erection. It's leaking slightly and that creates more friction, forcing Chansung to moan into the kiss. Junho's satisfied with the response. He can feel Chansung's skin getting hotter and he gets startled slightly when Chansung's lips kiss the scar on his neck. This part of his body has been untouched for so long that it feels more intimate than Chansung's fingers stretching him at the bottom.

"I'm not afraid of your scars," Chansung says and drags his lips over the scar, and Junho breathes out wrapping his arms around Chansung's neck. That reassurance brings a smile to Junho's face.

The taller male takes it as a sign and spits into his palm, coating his cock with more wetness. Chansung pulls Junho's hips closer and penetrates him slowly, making Junho bite on his lower lip while adjusting to the sensation.

"Are you okay?" Chansung asks and Junho responds with a kiss.

Junho feels like being in charge today, so he pushes Chansung down and starts moving up and down while leaning on his lover's chest. He watches Chansung's fingers wrapping around his erection and the pleasure doubles as he thrusts faster. Junho's already sweating and when he notices Chansung's skin getting damp too, he grins and leans back, placing his hands over Chansung's thighs. The angle is even better and Junho's lost in lust, slamming down harder enjoying the feeling of Chansung inside him, his fingers all over his leaking erection.

It doesn't take long before they come and it's definitely hot in the room now as it's filled with their heavy breathing. Junho's fingers touch Chansung's lean figure as he's about to stand up, but Chansung pulls him down, pressing Junho's back to his damp chest. "Is that it?" Chansung asks and Junho can feel the taller male grin against the back of his neck.

"Do you want to explain ourselves when the rest find the house? We have to clean up."

"Ugh, can't have my man all to myself, can I?" Chansung sulks, tightening his arms around Junho's torso.

"Safety first." Junho chuckles, thinking it was kind of risky to have sex at this place where they can be seen through the wide windows. Not that he really cares about that, but Chansung still needs to maintain his image in front of Taecyeon, Nichkhun, and Wooyoung. He's been quite strict lately and there's a reason for that; he has to be confident and strong for the sake of the rest. He's still the leader of this group. However, behind closed doors, he can relax and Junho's ready to accept him in whatever mood or position he is.

Still wrapped in their blankets, they make their way to the kitchen and clean themselves with paper towels. Junho tries the faucet and, to his surprise, it's working.

"Awesome, I hope there's a boiler somewhere in this house. Maybe we can get hot water."

"There must be since the house is in such a remote place." Chansung agrees while going through the drawers. "Holy shit, look at all this preserved food!" He grabs a can of pineapples.

"There's fish and beef too!" Junho's eyes sparkle with joy, losing his mind at the sight of all the edible goods.

They open the cans, jars, small cereal boxes and start devouring the food, sharing it and completely forgetting everything around them. As he watches the sunset, Junho feels like he's in a paradise; warm, full stomach and forgiven by his lover.

Later on they find the boiler room and activate the heating system, powered by coal. The only thing that's missing in this house is the electricity, but Junho doesn't feel the lack of it and there's no need for it really. The sun's almost gone, but the sky's rather clear, so they have no trouble navigating the rooms until they find candles.

Judging by the clothes in the closet, the owner was a man who had a little daughter and probably a teenager son. No sign of the wife and other family members. Junho wonders if they died trying to get here since the house is so stocked up.

"Hallelujah, we can finally get a decent change of clothes." Chansung throws some garments on the bed, rummaging through the closet. "Our jumpsuits are quite worn out and this closet feels more like a shop."

"I'm more than happy to switch from jumpsuits to this." Junho tries on black pants with a white sweater. "Makes me feel like a decent human being again."

"Right?" Chansung opts out for a pair of dark brown pants and a navy sweater. "Feels cosy. Apart from what we got from Yubin we didn't really have anything else to wear beneath the jumpsuits. I have to say I forgot what it feels like to be able to look different." Chansung appreciates the new outfit in front of the mirror as Junho comes from behind and wraps his arms around the taller male’s waist. 

More than the new clothes, he's happy that he can do this. Junho feels a little anxious. Even though Chansung's fine now, the stress from before still lingers. As if Chansung senses that, he turns around in Junho's embrace and looks him in the eye.

"Hey, stop worrying." Chansung leans in, cupping Junho's face and kisses him, reassuring of his well-being. Junho sighs into the kiss, opening his mouth wider and welcoming his lover's tongue eagerly. There's that healing power, forcing Junho to disengage from all the stress and appreciate what he has now instead. With Chansung's fingers lightly brushing against his back, Junho realises how addicted he is to Chansung's existence and touch.

There's a sudden noise coming from the entrance and they pull back from each other, rushing out of the bedroom. Junho hears Chansung sigh in relief as they're met with the trio they were forced to leave behind.

"You're wet!" Chansung sounds surprised.

"We couldn't find any bridge nearby, so we had to go for a swim." Nichkhun explains, undressing himself. "Sweet spot you found here, huh?" He glances at the fireplace as Chansung moves over to Taecyeon and helps him out of his wet clothing.

"I f-feel like a h-human ice cube." Taecyeon's teeth chatter as he's being freed of his heavy outfit.

“Did you see what happened?” Junho asks Nichkhun, intrigued how much they saw.

“We got to the edge of the cliff when you were performing the CPR on Chansung. Good job, Junho,” Nichkhun squeezes his shoulder, a gentle smile on his face. This feels like acceptance. “It took us a while to get down and we had to cross the river before it got dark. Thus, we were forced to swim.” Nichkhun wriggles out of his jumpsuit.

Junho stares at Wooyoung who seems not too phased about the cold, making Junho raise an eyebrow at him. The technician looks calm, but Junho can swear the air around him seems to be somewhat different. Something must have changed within him during these days; like everyone else, Wooyoung also had enough time to reflect on his actions.

Junho's eyebrows move as he's thinking and taking everything into consideration, Junho comes up with a quite enlightening revelation: Wooyoung must feel lonely, an outcast. Not too long ago Junho shared the same feeling, but everyone deals with loneliness differently. Perhaps Wooyoung's way of being noticed is childish, but it's not like he has ever been in a situation like this before. He must have been removed from his comfort zone the second the facility exploded and it must have created a never ending turmoil within him.

It takes time to get used to changes and something tells Junho that he shouldn't give up on Wooyoung, because all he probably needs is acceptance. Junho gnaws on his lips as he comes up with a decision; he will give Wooyoung a chance. Someone has to before it’s too late.

Junho looks at Chansung bringing blankets to his friends and thinks that the latter would agree. Whatever is left of this team, it needs to be stronger.

"Doesn't look like you're freezing, are you okay?" With a newly found resolution, Junho speaks up to the technician. It doesn't look like Wooyoung’s expected to be talked to as his expression shows puzzlement. They haven't talked to each other ever since Wooyoung's attempt to punch Junho. Wooyoung's not the only one surprised though; all eyes are on him.

"I used to go through a tough training with my parents, swimming at freezing temperatures every winter..." He explains, still slightly baffled and suspicious, but there's no usual animosity in his tone. Junho smiles.

"Come with me; let's get some clothes for everyone." Junho throws a blanket at him, when Wooyoung's only in his underwear. The latter seems to be considering his offer, wrapping himself into a human burrito and kicking off his underwear along into the pile of damp mess. 

In the end, Wooyoung nods and follows Junho, who doesn't miss the concerned look Chansung gives him, into the bedroom. _Shit_ , Junho thinks, Taecyeon probably told him about their little punch incident.

Junho rummages through the closet as Wooyoung stands beside him, watching his every move. There's a single candle on the bedside table and the lighting isn't sufficient, so Junho shifts slightly while squatting, to get a better view. He gives Wooyoung to hold onto some clothes, doing mental measurements and trying to guess their sizes. Not that there is a huge choice anyway and they'll have to wear it even if the clothing turns out to be too baggy or too tight. Junho also gives Wooyoung an opportunity to see that he's not hostile.

"You're weird," Wooyoung says and Junho looks up at him questioningly. "Out of all people I expected you to talk to me the least." He admits and Junho stands up.

"Out of all people, I think you want to be talked to the most." Junho examines the change in Wooyoung's face, the suspiciousness back in his eyes. Wooyoung's slowly building up a fence between them.

"What would you know about that...?" He looks away annoyed.

"You're right, I don't know. I'm just guessing. Even though you've been acting like a little shit, especially towards me, I don't think you're a genuine douchebag." Wooyoung snorts at Junho's words, but doesn't deny them. He is expecting something from Junho, he can sense it. Even if Wooyoung tries to hide it under his mean mask, there's that tiny hook that waits to be caught, and Junho's read to fish it out.

"What am I then?" The hook's been thrown.

"Just a human," Junho takes a step closer, but Wooyoung stays idle and doesn't break the eye contact. "Listen, I know we have our differences, we cope with our feelings in different ways, but when we get lonely, we lose ourselves. Maybe I am wrong, but I think this disaster struck you the hardest. To the point where you'd do anything, including being an ass, to get accepted into a circle. To be a part of something solid and safe. Right now, I think you're struggling a lot, because your close friend from your previous safe reality is dead, you're not trained to survive in circumstances like this and you feel weak. You were rejected by Chansung and I took your alleged place. Most of all, you feel unwanted." Junho deadpans and knows he must sound harsh, but he has to in order to get a strong response from Wooyoung.

"Shut up." Wooyoung averts his gaze and Junho can see his mask is crumbling, Wooyoung's lips tremble ever so slightly.

"Am I wrong?"

"Don't make assumptions about me!" Wooyoung hisses louder.

"But am I wrong? Honestly." Junho thrusts the hook deeper.

"Don't you dare to ridicule me!" He yells out this time, his eyes furious.

"I'm not."

"Like hell you're not!" He pushes Junho's shoulder, but the latter stands still and Wooyoung's nostrils flare at the lack of resistance from Junho.

"Wooyoung, it's okay." Junho keeps his calm, but Wooyoung's eyes are still wild.

"Nothing is okay! Everything is so wrong!" He thrusts his palms at Junho's chest, but Junho catches his wrists and the technician breaks at the soft yet firm touch. His face is a mix of emotions and tears roll down his cheeks as he looks away, not being able to withstand Junho's gaze and the emotions flooding out of him. Wooyoung didn’t expect that himself as embarrassment paints his cheeks. "It's not okay..." He sobs and Junho's face reflects sympathy as his arms circle around Wooyoung's shoulders and locks him in a tight embrace.

Wooyoung doesn't push him away this time; his face is buried into the nape of Junho's neck and his fingers cling onto the back of his sweater. Junho doesn't mind as his shoulder is stained with tears, because for the first time it feels like Wooyoung's being honest not only with Junho, but with himself as well. He has never cried till now, nor has he ever showed any genuine emotion after his colleague's death. Playing tough took too much of Wooyoung's strength and all Junho can do now is accept him.

After a while Wooyoung calms down, his grip on Junho's sweater weakens. He pulls away and knits his eyebrows, seeing Wooyoung's puffy and red eyes. The latter seems to be bashful as he wipes his wet face with the corner of the blanket, avoiding Junho's gaze.

"Is this the part where I have to apologise?" Wooyoung asks with a slight humour in his tone. Wooyoung's voice feels light.

"I don't know. Do you have anything to apologise for?" Junho grins, teasing him. He knows they're past whatever barrier there was between them. A thought crosses Junho's mind that if he had a brother, he’d be like Wooyoung, and their relationship would be full of friendly bickering.

"Sorry for ruining your sweater." Wooyoung tilts his head, looking at the damp spot on Junho's shoulder area. He chuckles at Wooyoung, accepting whatever else lies behind this apology.

"I'm going to bring the clothes to the guys, get dressed and come to eat whenever you're ready." Junho squeezes Wooyoung's shoulder, giving him the time to collect himself, but the latter's hand lands on top of his and Junho raises his eyebrows.

"Thanks." The word's short, but clear. Junho nods satisfied with this response and how Wooyoung finally opened up. No one is born a bad person, various circumstances make people act one way or another and Wooyoung's the proof of it. Junho believes that Wooyoung's ready to grow and exits the room, feeling completely content.

Behind the corner, he finds Chansung leaning back on the wall, his arms crossed over his chest as he seems to be deep in mind. Clearly, the Sergeant has been eavesdropping. Junho cannot blame him; he must have heard Wooyoung yelling and probably was ready to intervene in case their conversation got ugly. Junho feels warm at the thought Chansung has enough confidence in him now to entrust Junho with something as important as the conversation with Wooyoung.

Junho places his palm on Chansung's stomach and leans in.

"Did you have to hug him though?" Chansung looks at him, clearly joking behind that solemn expression, which makes Junho grin.

"Hugs come with the consolation pack." He gives a quick peck to the taller male's lips and he opens up his arms, allowing Junho to lean closer, hanging his arms over Junho's shoulders loosely.

"I'll talk to Taecyeon and Nichkhun about this. We have to work together to make him feel a part of our team. We've been quite unfair and inattentive to him, haven't we?" Junho's face softens up at the concerned expression before him. "You understood him. Because of what you went through." Junho sighs at Chansung's intense gaze, his fingers grasping at the Sergeant's waist. Chansung's probably blaming himself for everything, being the team leader and being unable to act like one at times. Wooyoung wasn't the only one running away from his inner burdens.

"Hey," Junho's fingers touch Chansung's chin and angle it down. "You're not alone." Chansung smiles kindly at him.

"Can I get that consolation pack benefit, but, like, extra benefit." His eyes are pleading, which Junho cannot resist, and his free arm circles around Chansung's waist, pressing closer to his body with a pile of clothes sandwiched between them. Chansung's lips find his, fingers entangled in Junho's hair and they kiss slowly, tongues pushing at each other, firing up their mouths with passion. It's always an otherworldly experience to be kissed by Chansung and Junho has to pull back before he gets too excited. It's easy to get lost in Chansung's lips. The latter wants to protest the sudden distance, but Junho places a finger on Chansung's wet lips.

"Save that for the night." He winks and walks away, with clothes in one hand.

 

The rest of the evening has a great atmosphere with all of them feeling cosy with filled stomachs. Wooyoung has a different air about him too; his cheeky nature is still there, but it's not harmful anymore. Nichkhun offers to teach him a few defence and attack moves the upcoming day. Being and feeling useful most definitely helps with the positivity and motivation, it reflects on Wooyoung's excited face: he's ready to learn something new and valuable. Junho sips on his hot tea, glad that everything ended well today. It's not often that he can feel relaxed, but with all that has happened since he fell into the tunnel, it brings a mellow smile to his face looking back at the outcome. The team feels solid now.

One by one, they take a warm bath and Junho's the last one to use it. Before going back to the bedroom, he makes sure the door is locked and all candles are blown out. The fireplace smoulders lightly and there's Nichkhun sleeping on the sofa, making Junho bite on his lower lip as he remembers riding Chansung on it just a few hours ago. He snickers passing the sofa, making his way towards the bedroom on the second floor as Taecyeon and Wooyoung took over the one below.

It's so quiet when he reaches the second floor and enters the bedroom, the only source of light coming in from the window. It's slightly cloudy and not that much of moonlight falls into the room, but it's enough to see once you get used to it. Junho undresses and slips beneath the sheets, scooting closer to Chansung. 

His wicked grin drops a little and is changed by an understanding smile, when he notices that Chansung is breathing deeply. His sleeping figure is completely relaxed as he's lying on his back, his head turned towards Junho's. It sure is nice to finally be able to sleep comfortably. He feels his own tiredness winning him over, looking at Chansung's peaceful face. Junho brushes his nose against Chansung's cheek gently and gives him a soft good-night kiss.

In his sleepy state, Chansung senses his presence and turns on his side, locking Junho in an embrace, his lips pressed to Junho's forehead as he whispers a quiet 'Love you', both of them indulging in this innocent intimacy.

 _If only this could last forever_ , the last thought escapes Junho’s drowsy mind.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What can I say... *tries not to spoil* I just love italics. Enjoy it >:D  
> Thanks @egle0702 for editing <3

[ ](http://s66.photobucket.com/user/ielektrinta/media/3r.jpg.html)

It's dark and cold, only a small flicker of light comes from above. Chansung tries to swim towards it, but his limbs do not listen to him. He remains stuck in the same depth and the light is blocked by a body floating above. Chansung squints and sees more bodies, faces of his comrades staring down at him with empty eyes. He gulps, being swayed by the river current and cannot tear his eyes away from those emotionless faces. He stops moving and lets the darkness consume him while his body drowns lifelessly. It hurts.

His arm is suddenly jerked and there are fingers wrapped tightly around his biceps. Junho's face is in the shadow, but it's enough to bring a ray of hope. Effortlessly, Junho's mouth presses against his and gives Chansung air, filling his lungs with life. The bodies above are gone, and Junho drags him up towards the rippling surface, pulling Chansung out of the state of numbness. When his head breaks through the surface and he breathes in, Chansung's eyes open up.

It was just a nightmare or rather, a memory. The one he had before he came back to life yesterday, thanks to Junho.

It was the second time in his life that he had a near-death experience, but this one shook him harder. Probably because, as a child, he blocked those memories and over time they have faded away. 

Now, everything is too real, and although he tries to push it away, the impact of the event is still crushing him. Death is a very scary experience and living with the knowledge burdens him. While Chansung is having trouble dealing with this, he knows it must be even harder for Junho, since he had to go through the whole revival ordeal all by himself.

That terrified expression he saw once he was revived is engraved deeply in Chansung’s mind. When Junho thinks he is not being watched, sometimes Chansung sees a distinct crease between his eyebrows, Junho’s thoughts occupied with all sorts of worries. Most of them must be related to him, Chansung assumes. 

He senses the remnants of inner sadness within Junho and wishes he could make it disappear completely. It's happening slowly and while they're still safe in this house, he can tell Junho's relaxing little by little. The problem is they will have to move soon.

There's an odd sound coming from his right and he blinks a few times before becoming fully aware of his surroundings. Chansung's on his back, the duvet covering him up to his chest. He rolls lazily and touches an empty spot, but as his eyes travel to the source of the light chopping sound, Chansung sees Junho standing in front of the mirror, only in his underwear. His eyes travel higher and he notices scissors in Junho's right hand and a comb in his left; his hair much shorter now. As if sensing Chansung's gaze on him, Junho turns around and looks slightly guilty.

"Oh, sorry, did I wake you up?" Chansung stares at the fresh face, marvelling at the facial features that look sharper with shorter hair. Chansung smiles and shakes his head.

"Where's Junho? Who's this new hottie in town?" Junho looks away, a bit embarrassed, and Chansung's grin becomes wider.

"You're delirious." He mumbles and turns back to the mirror, giving his haircut the final touches. Chansung climbs out of the bed and stands behind Junho, tracing his finger down Junho's spine; the latter doesn't seem to mind the tickling. Chansung looks at his own hair in the mirror, thinking this is a great start to looking like a homeless person. Well, that wouldn’t be too far from the truth. They’re squatting someone else’s house, after all.

"Can I get a haircut too?" Chansung touches his own bangs, which are covering his eyebrows. It's been a while since he has last seen them.

"Sure, grab a chair for yourself, tall man." Junho takes a towel and wipes the trimmed hair off his skin, ready to become Chansung's hairdresser.

"Make me look as good as yourself."

"I don't know if I'm capable of such a thing."

"Are you saying I'm ugly?" Chansung’s eyebrow rises as Junho stands in front of him, a devious smirk decorating his face. He leans down with hands on his knees and stares at Chansung's face.

"No. I'm saying I cannot make someone already perfect look even better." Junho waits, while the latter digests the compliment.

"When you cut off your hair, did you get the power of corny?" Chansung's laugh fills the room and Junho straightens up, seemingly satisfied with the response, because there’s a betraying heat in Chansung’s cheeks. He walks around, stops behind Chansung and touches his hair, pulling on it playfully. "Do you think I’ll become corny too?"

"Shut your ugly mouth." Chansung keeps laughing at him, but the little smile on Junho's face doesn't disappear. He dips the comb into the glass with water and moistens Chansung's dry hair. Content with the necessary dampness, Junho starts cutting.

This feels therapeutic; it's always been like that for Chansung. His eyes are shut, enjoying Junho's fingers running through his dark locks, pieces of them falling on Chansung's shoulders covered with a towel.

It’s also refreshing to enjoy something so mundane.

"You know," Chansung says. "I'm wondering... What's your fondest memory before the apocalypse has struck...?" Chansung stares at Junho's reflection, who's trimming his right side now. His hands are quick.

"Hmm..." Junho frowns a little, exploring his inner memory box. "Oh!" His eyes sparkle and a smile appears on his face while he cuts off another strand confidently. "It's a silly story, but, somehow, it's the one that comes to my mind. When I was in my senior year at school, my dad was still hoping I'd become a doctor, so he took me to the hospital to watch him as he does some rounds with the patients. I'm not going to lie, it was tempting, but being a soldier sounded far more exciting."

"That's your only motivation? Excitement?" Chansung teases and concentrates on Junho’s fast fingers. Those might have been a surgeon’s hands.

"Don't judge, it changed later." Junho chuckles and smacks Chansung's shoulder. "Anyway, so dad enters this room, four beds and two of them occupied by elderly ladies. The first one had a hip replacement and the second one had an eye surgery. So, he comes to the eye surgery lady, who can’t see very well. I'm following behind him, dressed in a white coat, pretending to be a student. Then, she looks behind my dad, straight at me and beckons me to come closer. Dad allows it, because objecting an old lady is a wrong move if you value your serenity." Chansung chuckles, imaging puzzled Junho, making his way towards that lady. He must have looked adorable. Chansung bites his cheek at the thought, which, he’s sure, Junho would disapprove of. "She takes my hand and says: _'You're not going to be a doctor. Soldier suits you better, you brave boy. Your dad needs to let go of that dream.'_ You should have seen my dad's face; his eyes almost flew into the orbit."

"You met a psychic?!" Chansung looks back, but Junho forces his head towards the mirror.

"It appears so. After that event, my dad never bothered me about becoming a doctor." Junho chuckles at the sweet memory.

"All it took was an old lady's word, huh? Maybe she knew you?"

"You're such a sceptic. No, it was my first time seeing her, and dad was covering for her doctor that day. So..." He moves over to the left side. "What about you? What's your fondest memory?"

It doesn't take long for Chansung to remember his precious memory, though it's bittersweet too. "It was when I graduated high school. I had no family, so it wasn't a very happy day for me as everyone around were showered with their parents' love. I was bitter. However, my teacher came up to me and had an envelope in her hands. She was also my neighbour who used to help my mom with my care, so she knew my parents and everything I had to go through." Chansung sighs. "She told me that I shouldn't feel lonely and that the thing inside the envelope has been long forgotten before she found it in her old stuff that she was ready to throw away, because she was moving out. She hugged me and gave me the envelope, leaving me alone to open it. It was a family photo of my parents putting one of their graduation hats on my head and the little me had such a sour face it made me laugh. The photo brought back something... Very dear."

Junho squats and places his elbows on Chansung's knees, looking up at him tenderly. "I'd love to see that photo."

"Me too. I left it behind at home and never had a chance to get it back." He ruffles Junho's hair, the freshly cut ends feeling spiky. 

"We will get it back. After we see what's at the lab."

"Come on, it would take weeks to reach my apartment. Dangerous, too." His hand slides down Junho's bare neck, covering the bite mark. Chansung feels so grateful to Junho for his consideration, which only strengthens this relationship. Having someone like this by his side heals Chansung in so many ways. That's why he decides it's time to stop moping around. It can’t be only Junho giving it his all. Chansung must put some effort too.

"I'll put you in a barrel and roll you over to your apartment safely." Junho grins and stands up, working his scissors on the fringe.

"Good luck with that. By the way, that skimpy outfit of yours is too distracting." His eyes scan Junho's lower body before him.

"Close your eyes then, you pervert." Junho rolls his eyes.

"You know I can't." Chansung mischievous grin alerts Junho, but he doesn't manage to avoid that unexpected slap on his butt.

"Ahh, you idiot! It hurt!" Chansung laughs and Junho takes a step closer to get his revenge, but there's a sudden knock on the door. Both of them glance at it.

"It's me," Taecyeon's voice sounds cheerful, and he opens the door without waiting for permission. He looks at them, eyes wide, as he sees Junho with scissors raised in his hand and Chansung glued to the chair like he’s about to get stabbed, hair all around them. "What in the world... Anyway," Taecyeon coughs, realising he should have waited for that permission. "Nice haircuts. Also, I found a pancake mix, so that's our breakfast. Hurry before it gets cold." He shuts the door quickly, before Chansung can reprimand or tease him.

"That was quick." Junho says and walks over to the table. “Your hair’s done.” He puts the scissors away and grabs his clothes.

"Wait, where are you going?" Chansung wipes the hair off his body, staring at Junho who's pulling his pants up with no care towards Chansung’s intensely blooming feelings. He craves to hold Junho and kiss him, and...

"Breakfast, obviously." He glances back at the disappointed man. Chansung's expression gives him away, because he expected that butt slap to develop into something  _bigger_. "You, clean up this mess." Junho commands, ignoring the puppy eyes accompanied by the hot body Chansung was sure was going to work.

"But I had another haircut payment method in my mind." Junho just looks away casually. That prude act Junho is putting up destroys him; Junho must have sadistic tendencies, since he initiated this game and chose to play Chansung like this.

"Oh, I bet." Junho makes his way towards him and leans down, grabbing Chansung's chin and kissing him hard, giving no time to register it fully. Effortlessly, he pulls away and walks over to the door, giving a devilish grin to Chansung. "See you at the breakfast table, darling." Chansung’s jaw locks in desperation. That little...

 _It's not fair_ , Chansung thinks when the door closes and he's left alone, trying to think of something gross, because that kiss made a certain body part very awake. Clearly, the evil boyfriend has a better self-control. Oh, he  _will_  get Junho back for this. The game is on.

 

There's a nice sweet smell coming from the kitchen, which Chansung enjoys while walking downstairs. What a wonderful place to get away from all the zombie mess, he thinks and waves at Nichkhun and Wooyoung, who are sitting in front of the fireplace with their plates full of pancakes and raspberry jam. Taecyeon walks past him, his pancakes drenched in maple syrup.

"Isn't that a bit too much..?" Chansung gives him a doubtful look and Taecyeon just snickers, shaking his head and stuffing way too much food into his mouth, joining the duo by the fireplace.

"You just don’t understand." Taecyeon says, pieces of a pancake almost falling from his mouth into the plate.

Chansung grins, when he sees Junho at the counter, putting freshly cooked pancakes into his plate, oblivious of the scheming man behind him. Chansung almost hovers like a ghost, his steps extremely quiet and he stops just a few centimetres away from Junho's back, watching him pour Taecyeon's maple syrup. Chansung leans down stealthily.

"Boo." He says quietly and Junho almost drops the syrup. Chansung presses closer with his chest, his hands behind his back as if he’s just peering down over Junho’s shoulder. "I'm going to pour that maple syrup all over your cock and suck it all off until you scream my name and beg for more." His whisper paints Junho's ears bright red and he knows his revenge is a major success. To add to the verbal harassment, Chansung bites on Junho's crimson ear and the latter shudders.

"I will fucking kill you." Junho hisses and escapes the male towering over him. Junho's eyes are icy, but there's passion behind them. Chansung feels victorious and bites on his lower lip, eyeing Junho down slowly. This game _is_ exciting.

"Are you coming or what?" Nichkhun's unsuspecting voice interrupts this little revenge battle-game, and Junho doesn't wait any longer, leaving the winner at the counter alone, probably already plotting his further actions.

"Couldn't share the pancakes?" Wooyoung asks when Junho sits near him.

"That beast has an abnormal appetite." Junho says, obviously hinting at Chansung's libido as well, but only Chansung understands it and chuckles together with everyone, but for different reasons. Junho’s libido is just as big, but he’s decided to play games today. The nerve.

He comes with his plate and settles down on the rug alongside Taecyeon, their backs to the fireplace. "How did everyone sleep?" Chansung inquires more like a careful father rather than a soldier.

"Better than ever." Nichkhun says and the rest nods. "When are we leaving?"

"You want to leave so soon?" Chansung teases him, knowing that's not the case and Nichkhun smiles, a piece of raspberry stuck between his teeth.

"There," Chansung points with a finger at his own mouth, and Nichkhun seems to get it, picking at his teeth quickly. Then, the Sergeant gets a map out of his pocket and spreads it in the middle of the circle. "When we lost our map during the crash, I still had some of it memorised, but not enough. I found this yesterday evening." He smiles. "Apparently, we made a short-cut by walking and crossing the river." He points at their current location and traces his finger to the lab’s direction. "Say we can't find a car and have to walk all the way there. Just by walking, it would take us only around three days. If we do find a car, we can make it in a day, I think."

"Awesome!" Taecyeon exclaims, chewing on pancakes and spitting onto the map. Chansung gives him a look. “Sorry.”

"With that being said, I think we should stay here for a day, we still need to recover a bit. Don't you think?"

"Leaving tomorrow sounds good to me." Junho shrugs. Sure, he still needs more time to torture Chansung.

"Yeah, same." Nichkhun agrees with everyone else nodding. "I still have to teach Wooyoung a few moves today, so that works out just fine."

"Good, it's settled. Do whatever you want today and we leave tomorrow."

They spend some time chatting while eating, and this domestic scene makes Chansung feel cosy. Although he is still aware of their situation and that the world behind these walls is very dangerous, but just for this moment, he lets himself relax, because everyone is doing the same. Their faces are not tense, smiles vivid and no signs of stress. Ignorance is bliss.

Later on, Nichkhun and Wooyoung head outside for some training and Taecyeon follows them to supervise and maybe give a hint or two. Chansung can tell the latter feels excited, his eyes glistening with drive. Chansung puts his winter coat on too, while Junho gives him a questioning look. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to check out the garage. I've been itching to since we've got here." He ties up his shoes.

"I'll join you." Chansung gives him a suspicious look, wondering if Junho has already something planned to get back at him for the kitchen scene. Although Junho's innocent face indicates otherwise, Chansung still has a premonition something  _is_  going to happen and he's all up for that scheming game. Playing with Junho will have  _dirty_  consequences, he's sure. The question is, who will give up first?

Taecyeon, Wooyoung and Nichkhun decide to train in front of the house, while Chansung skips quickly to the garage first, without waiting for the plotting imp of a lover. The nature here is astonishing, it seems like it was snowing overnight, the tree branches heavy with white fluff. With that, Junho won't be able to make a decent snowball and attack Chansung from behind. He stops in front of the garage entrance door, waiting for Junho to come and hack the lock.

"Can't do a thing without me, huh?" Chansung hears Junho yell from afar.

"I'm just-" Chansung leans on the door, ready give a witty response when he completely loses balance as it opens unexpectedly, making him fall inside like a log.

His mind cannot comprehend what's happening at first, when he sees two bodies right above him. He tries to stand up, but the roamers weigh him down, grabbing on his arms and Chansung's in panic, using all his strength to push them back. This place seemed so safe; he got lulled again.

Chansung manages to push the little girl away, but it's Junho who kicks off the man, the father probably, and slams his head into the wall powerfully, while Chansung jumps up and kicks the girl's head into the wall. He huffs and runs outside to get some air, his heart slamming against his ribcage. There's Taecyeon, Nichkhun, and Wooyoung sprinting towards them, and Junho leaves the garage, everyone's eyes wide in shock.

"Chansung!" Taecyeon screams and holds onto his friend's shoulders. Chansung's still out of it and only Wooyoung's words make him snap back to reality.

"Chansung, your hand..." Everyone looks at his hand.

Chansung starts shivering, seeing a bite mark, dark red blood dripping on the snow. He feels like he’s already dead.

Chansung gulps, licking his lips, already feeling the heat rising up in his body; it's as if his blood is starting to boil rapidly. He takes a couple of steps back from everyone, perfectly knowing what this means. It's hard to admit it, now that he's got it himself, but for the sake of his remaining friends, he must. If he doesn't want to kill them when he turns into a runner, he must do this. Chansung's terrified eyes glance at Junho; at least he won't attack him, Junho's immune.

"Kill me," he says in a shaky voice, seeing sorrow in the eyes before him. "You must kill me." He repeats stronger, the clock ticking faster, the seconds of his human life running out. His body is on fire.

"No," Junho holds onto his arms, the anguished look on his face breaking Chansung completely. It's hard for Chansung, but it's even harder for those, who will live with the pain of loss, this memory of Chansung engraved in their minds. He cannot console Junho, there are no right words. He cannot do anything at all. Chansung’s powerless. "I can't..." Junho’s voice is like a shawl made from the lightest fabric in the world, being ripped apart by the slightest breeze.

"You have to..." Chansung touches his face with the unharmed hand and pulls a knife out of Junho's pocket with the other, handing it to him. Fuck, it's tearing Junho apart, Chansung can see it and feel it with every breath. He's the same as Junho. Completely crushed.

Any time now, Chansung's going to turn.

He looks down at the ground and falls to his knees, not being able to withstand his friends' agonizing looks. Taecyeon covers his eyes, leaning on Nichkhun’s shoulder; the latter is like a stone. Wooyoung seems to be hypnotised, his gaze is blank, but painful.

"Kill me!" He yells this time, tears burning his eyes. He cannot spare the last glance at them, he just cannot.

Chansung’s sight becomes blank and he's dying again, joining the dead floating bodies from his dream for real this time. He will be a part of them now. The fever fries his brain and he doesn't know what's happening anymore. It’s as if his body is shutting down. He feels someone embrace him and it must be Junho; he can risk everything to hug a man who's turning, because he's safe. Junho can hold him back from hurting others. He just cannot kill him, not yet.

Something changes within Chansung, and it's daunting. His heart stops, he’s sure. This is it.

 _Is it, really?_  A stupid voice echoes in his burning brain.

It must be.

 _What if you're wrong?_  The voice taunts him.

Shut up.

 _A zombie or a human?_ The voice mocks him again.

Shut up.

 _Maybe both?_ The voice suddenly becomes serious, no mockery left in it, and Chansung recognises it. It's his own inner voice.

His eyes are wide open, Junho's still hugging him tightly and his heart is pumping blood.

How much time has passed? It's definitely more than a minute. Everyone turns into a runner in under a minute. Why is Chansung still human? Is he a human?

His skin is so hot, just like Junho's cheek against his and it appears  _normal_  now.

Chansung feels like all of his systems have restarted.

"Junho..." Wooyoung says quietly pointing at Chansung, disbelief apparent in his tone. "Look at him."

Hesitantly, Junho pulls back and stares into Chansung's eyes. This moment feels animated, as if they're looking at each other for the very first time, reading each other without words.

And it is the very first time, because Chansung turned into something that Junho is. He's not the same anymore. He is different.

Just like Junho, he's the 4th R now.  
The Resurrected.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks @egle0702 for editing!

Chansung's eyes find his bitten hand, blood still dripping onto the snow near his knees. He feels slightly dizzy and he shakes his head a little, trying to put pieces of his thoughts into one solid chunk. He's alive.

A warm hand lands on his cheek and Junho's move makes Chansung focus on his face; he notices visible traces of concern and the caring dark eyes that are boring into Chansung's shaken soul.

"Chansung?" Junho says gingerly, not too sure of the Sergeant's condition. "How are you feeling?" Chansung's eyes travel past Junho's face and he stares at the shocked trio behind him. If he were a runner, he'd be running for their throats right now, but there's no such urge. He's still human, or whatever. Junho taps his cheek gently and gains Chansung's attention back. "Are you dizzy?"

"Yeah." Chansung admits finally, drawing sighs of relief from everyone.

"Come," Junho pulls him up and gives it a few moments to let Chansung adjust to whatever is happening within him. "It will pass soon; I think occasional dizziness comes with the immunity. An annoying side effect, but better than..." Junho's expression's soft yet sullen, making Chansung knit his eyebrows, perfectly relating to the feeling only Junho has had the knowledge of until now.

"Back at the cabin... You were experiencing this side effect?" Chansung pulls away from Junho, ready to stand on his feet all by himself. He feels stronger.

"I suppose. It doesn't happen too often, so I can live with that. But when it hits you, it hits you hard. I don't have any idea why. That's why I'm hoping to hear some answers at the lab."

"I'm so ready to get to the lab now that I'm partially a member of the zombie clan." Chansung chuckles, hoping to ease the atmosphere, but the tension doesn't dissipate. He kicks himself mentally, because what has just happened was far from a joke. By some weird coincidence, he's still miraculously alive. These people were so worried for him and they still are; Chansung feels guilty for even trying to make light of the situation. No one can recover that fast. "Sorry," He mutters and looks down.

"Come on," Junho grabs his arm, the sensation feels oddly colder than before."I'll fix your wound." He starts dragging Chansung towards the house.

"I'll help," Taecyeon says and the rest are about to join him, but Chansung shakes his head, smiling gently.

"It's okay. You stay here and check the garage for whatever useful things it might have. We'll be back soon." He regains his leadership, remembering what he initially went for to the garage. Also, Chansung feels like this won't be the only time he will have to prove his well-being. He cannot have these men worrying about him. Everything is fine. It will be.

"Are you sure?" Nichkhun inquires politely, perhaps still afraid of something bad happening to Chansung as his tender eyes inspect his face.

"I'm fine," Chansung assures and lets Junho lead him back to the house, feeling friendly pats on his back as he passes by Wooyoung, Nichkhun and Taecyeon. His chest feels heavy with responsibility.

Junho's awfully quiet when they enter the house and Chansung has no clue what‘s going through the latter‘s mind. The only thing that is quite obvious is that Junho's not going to pat him or give him a heart-warming kiss. The icy expression makes Junho feel distant and when he grabs the first aid kit, he commands Chansung to sit.

Junho settles beside him and takes Chansung's hand, wiping the blood off and disinfecting the wound, making Chansung wonder if the disinfectant is really necessary at this point. Junho's fingers are fast as always, but his movements are thoughtful and calculated. Chansung watches his lowered eyelashes when Junho leans forward slightly, applying the bandage over the taller male's palm. He still doesn't say anything and it's starting to make Chansung feel frustrated. What's going on?

"Spit it out." He says and Junho looks up, letting go of Chansung's bandaged hand. There's a heavy sigh escaping Junho as he stands up and walks over to the fireplace, leaning on the ledge and staring at the ember.

"You should have waited for me. Going alone was stupid." Junho mumbles.

"I _was_ waiting for you. I didn't know the door was unlocked."

"That's not the point."

"What?" Chansung stands up, not catching the drift.

"I was _this_ close to losing you! Damn it, could you have more consideration towards your own life?" Junho turns around abruptly, his expression furious, but caring.

"Hey, you cannot possibly blame me for what happened. I had no idea-"

"No, you listen to me. You always put everyone else before yourself, rushing somewhere head on: running away from the herd, the car accident, the cliff... It's not a good thing, you know. Not in times like these, even if you're supposed to be the leader! There are people who worry about you! And you have the audacity to joke after you’ve barely survived. This is fucked up. Your life's not a joke. Don't make jokes like this. It's not funny. Minutes ago, you told me to kill you. What if I had done that? Does that sound funny to you? Don't you ever make jokes about your life. Ever!" Junho huffs, fists clenched tight beside his thighs. His eyes are burning like fire.

Chansung has no proper answer to this. Simply because Junho's right. Possessed by the thought of saving the people around him, he completely forgot about himself and those who were concerned about him. Junho's different from Taecyeon, Nichkhun, and Wooyoung, who wouldn't dare to yell out the truth like that, and it actually makes Chansung feel thankful; his words are insightful. Junho has always been real with him, despite everything.

Chansung also realises that he should handle their current situation differently because it isn't what it used to be. This is not a squad on a special mission anymore. They're just a bunch of skilled survivors and they should change their tactics if they want to stay alive. Chansung has to change the most. He won't get any rewards, badges or praises from the higher-ups; that system is long gone. Putting his life at risk and not thinking too much about it will only result in something probably very disappointing. The fact he's somehow still alive should be enough of a proof that things must change. Chansung will begin with taking a better care of himself. He has no wish to see Junho's or anyone else's hair turning white because of him.

"You're right. I'm sorry." He says walking over to Junho and embracing him, relieving him of the tension as Junho's body relaxes against his.

Junho presses his forehead to Chansung's chest and circles his arms around the taller male's waist, sharing the heat between them in mutual silence. They heal each other wordlessly.

Soon, a sound of speedy footsteps reaches them and they pull away, staring at the door when Wooyoung barges in. "Are you done?" He glances at Chansung's hand, his expression bright.

"Yes." He nods. "Did you find anything good?"

"You have to see it." Wooyoung purses his lips in a light smile, keeping the reason behind it a secret. They leave the house promptly, with Junho walking in front of them. "I'm glad you're okay." Wooyoung says quietly, making sure Junho doesn't hear him. "Not to sound like an ass, but I'm more glad for his sake."

"I know what you mean." Chansung gazes at Junho's back fondly. It’s risky to have someone special when you don’t know if you can make it, and every day is a struggle, and those struggles create a strong bond between the people. It’s a double-edged sword really. "He grew on you, didn't he?" Chansung winks at Wooyoung when the latter stares back at him as if wishing to retort, but instead he just grins and nods.

"He's cool."

Chansung pats Wooyoung's back smiling. "Yeah, he is."

What he sees in the garage puts him in good spirits because there are two snowmobiles right in front of him. Upon a closer inspection, they find two canisters of fuel and this discovery is enough to shed some positivity on their current situation. It should be about the right amount to get them out of the mountains and maybe a bit further.

Wooyoung checks the batteries and decides to bring them to the house since they seem to be out of power. He assures it's fixable, and everyone puts their trust in his encouraging words. It also relieves Chansung, because Wooyoung once again has proved himself to be useful and, generally speaking, an awesome guy who has very valuable skills when needed. He mentally thanks Junho for cracking Wooyoung's inner walls, dragging the real guy out of the darkness. There's also Nichkhun and Taecyeon, who are willing to help with anything that needs to be done. This group of survivors will push through anything; Chansung thinks to himself and touches a fishing rod, appreciating what he has now. Being so close to death changes your perspective of life.

"How about some fish for dinner?" Taecyeon's voice interrupts his thoughts as he grabs another fishing rod, twiddling with it in his hands.

"Do you think there's fish in that river?" He inquires sceptically.

"We won't know until we try, now don't we?" Taecyeon nudges Chansung's shoulder with his own, eager to drag his friend out of the garage. "Just the two of us." He says his eyes warm and inviting. It's not just about the fishing, Chansung realises.

"Sure. Let's go." He glances at the rest. "We're going fishing."

"Okay, we'll continue with the training then." Nichkhun touches Wooyoung's shoulder and clasps his fingers on it like a claw.

"I'll teach him a few moves too." Junho grabs onto another shoulder determined, and Wooyoung has no other choice but to comply for the time being. He'll take those batteries later.

Without a hurry, Taecyeon and Chansung walk over to the river, cloudy sky above them, exactly to the place where Junho had pulled him out, fighting for his life. Just how many times was he saved by Junho? He’s a literal human charm. Taecyeon notices a deep crease between Chansung's eyebrows and pats him knowingly. "Don't beat yourself over this. Shit happens. Here, take the bait." Chansung takes it and attaches it to the hook.

"Loads of shit, you mean."

"Maybe." Taecyeon chuckles, swinging the fishing rod and watching the hook hit the water surface. Chansung follows Taecyeon's suit and now two bright orange floaters fight against the stream, waiting for the catch.

"We've come so far... It's not exactly a walk in a park, this whole survival thing." Chansung concentrates on the floater. "How do you deal with it?"

"I don't." Chansung glances at Taecyeon's calm profile. "I just live with it. Adaptation, you know. More or less, all of us are going through it. Well," he chuckles."We're forced to."

A strong gush of wind picks up some snow and they cover their eyes a little, shaking the white fluff from their hair. "Taecyeon, we're not a squad anymore." These words make Taecyeon stare at him questioningly. "We're just people, trying to survive." He explains. "Perhaps I shouldn't be the only one making decisions."

"Chansung..." Taecyeon keeps gazing at him and the Sergeant looks back. There's a trace of confusion on his friend's face, but it disappears quickly replaced by a thoughtful expression. "You don't want to be the one responsible for everything." He concludes.

Taecyeon has always been profound, that's what Chansung likes about him the most. He won't judge, he won't force his opinions. Taecyeon always tries his best to reason. Amidst this entire apocalypse, he has never lost that quality. And now, Chansung's opening up to him more than the usual. Being tough is exhausting. He's sure Taecyeon can take that knowledge. They're more than colleagues, they have always been. With everything that has happened to them since the shit has hit the fan, they've become even closer.

"More than that, I feel like there's no need to pretend like we're on some holy mission for the greater good or something. But yeah, I'd like to think all of us can make decisions and you shouldn't look at me and see the Sergeant anymore. I think it's fair to say my decisions haven't always been the right ones."

"But what is _right_ , exactly?" Taecyeon shrugs. "Decision making is a lottery, you know. It's always been like that. We can't know the outcome and you're a good strategist and-"

"Taec, there is no squad left to lead." Chansung deadpans, perfectly knowing what kind of impact his words would leave. Taecyeon locks his eyes onto his own hands, two fingers missing. Yeah, he knows. There are only him, Nichkhun, and Chansung left. Wooyoung and Junho weren't a part of their squad. They became a part of this group.

"Is this how you're announcing your retirement?" There's a melancholic smile on Taecyeon's face.

"I'm just giving everyone more space, regarding free decision making."

"Okay. Since I'm your senior and you're not my official boss anymore..." Taecyeon turns to Chansung and carelessly drops his fishing rod, cupping Chansung's face into his hands. He stares right into his junior's eyes and frowns a little, then the frown gets replaced by a warm smile as he scrutinizes Chansung's confused face. "I'm just happy you're alive." He suddenly pulls Chansung into a very tight hug, which makes him drop his fishing rod too. He casually laughs at Taecyeon's outburst of affection and hugs him back just as strong, sharing the positive vibes.

"Me too." He admits, rubbing Taecyeon's back up and down, already feeling much better.

There's a sound of something being dragged and both of them pull back, staring at the noise source and grin when they see their fishing rods moving towards the water. They catch them before it's too late and an hour later they come back bringing a bucket half-full of fish.

 

It gets dark soon and the house smells like a various mix of spices and fish with Taecyeon the chef whirling in the kitchen. Wooyoung and Junho are having a heated conversation about the differences between cats and dogs, while the technician's working on the batteries, and Nichkhun is face-deep into some cheap self-help book, completely oblivious to the duo on the rug. Chansung himself is reading, or more like, pretending to read a novel, but he's basically just meditating while looking at the letters, ignoring the commotion in the living room and kitchen. Occasionally, he catches curious glances from Junho, not too sure what they mean, but he discards it as a regular concern related to today's events. 

Earlier that evening, he explained to Nichkhun and Wooyoung that they shouldn't act like a military squad. That the system is gone and everyone's equal now. Not that Chansung was a dictator to begin with, but his word used to be final and it will be slightly different from now on. Nichkhun seemed to be slightly taken aback, as expected, but he understood. Wooyoung had no trouble accepting this small change. And Junho... He just pursed his lips and nodded in agreement. Chansung assumes that made him happy or at least he hopes so. He seems to be his usual self, but Chansung has an odd hunch about it.

The rest of the evening goes smooth and delicious, thanks to Taecyeon. They move to the garage to try out the fixed batteries and as Wooyoung had promised before - they're working. With that they pack useful things and prepare for tomorrow's trip, actually not too eager to leave this place, already giving longing looks to the house, entering it for the last night.

Chansung takes a bit longer in the shower, not too sure when he will have a chance to use one. He glances at his hand and reclines his head back, shutting his eyes and remembering the dreadful minute of the unknown. Perhaps, many years later, he will forget about it. However, right now he still shudders internally thinking _what if_. Chansung shuns those intrusive thoughts away and puts a fresh bandage to cover his fears.

He leaves the bathroom and doesn't bother putting more clothes on except for his underwear, because the virus induced heat is plenty. Chansung closes the bedroom door behind him and sees Junho facing the window, holding a map in his hands. He's a bit overdressed, compared to Chansung; Junho's in his underwear, but his upper body is covered with a black t-shirt. If it feels like that now, they probably will have to avoid hot weather like vampires avoid the sun.

"What are you doing?" He asks and hugs Junho's waist from behind, placing his chin on Junho's right shoulder.

"Just checking our route." Junho lets go of the map and lets it fall on the floor. He turns around in Chansung's arms, touching his bare flanks and looking at him intently. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm about to pass out if we don't kiss." Junho's eyes narrow and he presses closer to Chansung's hot body, bringing their hips together and he moves once just to grind teasingly against Chansung's groin. He holds his breath and then slowly exhales, leaning down expectantly, but Junho's hand shoots up and holds his chin in place, eyeing Chansung's face with determination.

"No, tonight, I'm taking control." Junho's low voice gets Chansung's hair standing on edges all over his body, but his being so assertive is what really affects him more.

"How do you plan on taking it?" Chansung slowly licks his lower lip and bites on it, watching Junho's sharp eyes cloud with lust, his grip even tighter on his chin.

"You'll have to see it for yourself." Junho smirks and pushes Chansung forcefully to the bed, the latter's falling on it heavily, his arms slightly behind his back, supporting his upper body as he sits on the edge, eyeing Junho up and down. The bulge in Junho's underwear protrudes even more, sending waves of heat down Chansung's groin. Whatever Junho is about to do to him, Chansung's all up for it.

His gaze follows Junho's fingers when they touch the hem of his shirt and he pulls it off swiftly, revealing his muscular upper body. Chansung has a hard time not launching himself to tackle his lover.

Junho finally moves closer and places one knee in between Chansung's thighs, gripping on them roughly and pushing the knee closer to his hardening clothed cock. It barely touches, but Chansung still lets out a shaky breath. Junho's lips hover close to his cheek and he bites on Chansung's earlobe, this time making him whimper. "You want me to suck your cock?" He asks and Chansung can swear he's grinning beside his blushed ear, because this question doesn't really need a reply. 

" _Want_ is an understatement." He breathes in, inhaling Junho's alluring scent.

"You'll have to earn it, then." Junho moves back slightly and his gaze is sultry when he orders. "Move up, lift your arms above your head."

Chansung complies and he has to admit that this dominant side of Junho is quite a turn on, since he has never really acted that way until now. Maybe he was holding back because he was the only one infected, after all. Now that the both of them are in the same shoes, perhaps Junho's finally setting himself free? Chansung has no more time to think about it, because Junho's on all fours, coming at him like a cat.

He straddles Chansung's waist and leans forward, his hand slipping under the pillow, and Chansung glances at the thing, realising it's a long and thin silk scarf. Junho's hands quickly find Chansung's wrists and tie him up to the metal headboard shaped as neat flower stems, with his arms above his head. Now, he cannot touch Junho. He cannot do anything, but do whatever the man with a devious grin above him wants.

"Smart. Very smart. Luring me in like this." Chansung notes slightly annoyed, because he really wants to touch Junho and now he's deprived of that option.

"I know how to handle a man." Junho leans down and holds onto Chansung's chin. "You said something about me begging and screaming your name earlier today, but I think you'll be the one doing that."

"You b-" Chansung's mouth is shut silent with a rough kiss, a mess of lips, teeth and tongue, kissing so hard Chansung can swear he tastes blood amidst everything. He doesn't dwell on it as he kisses back hungrily, and Junho grinds his hips against Chansung's hardening erection, forcing a moan out of him, allowing Junho's tongue to go deeper. Completely enchanted by the kiss, Chansung wants to hold Junho, but as he yanks his arms, he remembers that's not possible and the scarf material digs into his wrists.

Junho sits up and looks down at the restless man below him. "Don't." Is all he says and wipes his lower lip with his thumb, a small cut visible on his lip. "Should I restrain you even more?"

"Junho..." Chansung whines, but the latter just grins and stands up, removing his boxer briefs. Chansung licks his lips hungrily, staring at the hard cock above him. His own erection is rubbing against the underwear material painfully, begging for release. What he would do to give it some so wanted attention... But Junho settles down on Chansung's waist and gives him another ardent glance, before wrapping his hand around his own firm cock. Junho bites on his lower lip, masturbating right in front of Chansung, moving his hand up and down, making it painful for Chansung's avid eyes to watch. God, he wants to feel Junho for himself. "You want me?" Junho asks, stroking himself deliberately, the second hand joining the action.

"Fuck, you know I do." Chansung groans in anticipation, gulping at the sight before him, unable to touch.

"Want it inside you?" Junho's strokes his arousal lazily, clearly enjoying Chansung's desperation as a wicked smile curls up his wet lips.

"I do." He answers shakily.

"You do? Do you want me in your mouth?" Junho's left hand reaches behind his back and squeezes Chansung's erection, making his toes coil. He slides down a little and his ass brushes against Chansung’s dick, shattering the last bits of the restrained lover’s dignity.

"Fuck, ugh... I want your cock. In my mouth. I want to suck your cock, Junho." Chansung exhales, every particle of his body craving for the man on top of him. In any way, in any pose. Doesn't matter. He just wants Junho. Chansung longs to touch him, be it his mouth or tongue. "Please." He begs and Junho shudders, letting go of his cock. He rises towards Chansung's head on his knees and holds onto the top of the headboard. Chansung opens his mouth, ready to suck Junho dry and he pushes the tip in, closing his eyes at the dampness of Chansung's mouth. Junho releases a breathy moan, feeling Chansung's tongue caress him and he looks down, meeting Chansung's thirsty eyes.

"Fuck, you feel so good." He exhales and starts thrusting deeper into Chansung's mouth, seeing how much he can take. Junho starts moving a bit faster, reclining his head back in pleasure. Lost in it, the tip of his dick touches the back of Chansung's throat and he almost gags, the movement causing Junho release another sensual moan as he pulls out, not wanting to come just yet.

Junho leans down, his lips ghosting above Chansung's and he stares down at him for a few moments before clashing their lips together. Chansung's so sensitive at this point that every movement against his skin electrifies him, anticipating for more, and Junho smiles into the kiss, feeling how fidgety his lover is.

Junho endows Chansung and his crumbling patience with a trail of wet kisses down his sweaty neck and chest, his mouth making a stop at his perky nipple, sucking on it quite roughly while adding some teeth to the action and forcing a grunt out of Chansung's throat. Junho's fingers slide against his lover's sides, kisses following close behind while he travels down the restrained male's stomach. Settling cosily between Chansung's legs, he halts just at the hem of Chansung's underwear and looks at him, giving a dirty grin.

"You're the most evil person." Chansung hisses, the anticipation hitting the roof.

"Thanks." Junho chuckles and catches the hem with his teeth, pulling it off slowly and Chansung lifts his hips without Junho telling him to, trying his best not to scream as the material of his underwear being pulled off teases at the hot skin of his cock. Junho throws the boxers over his shoulder and licks his lips before touching Chansung's firm erection, making the latter breathe harder. "I could suck it, if you ask nicely."

"Just fucking suck my dick, Junho." Chansung loses it, not comprehending how Junho's in such a perfect control while he's basically just going wild down here.

"That wasn't very nice." He keeps on grinning and just with the tip of his tongue, he gives a short lick to Chansung's wet cock tip, what feels like a taste of heaven. His body shudders, every muscle tensing immediately. However, Junho doesn't do anything else; he just holds onto Chansung's arousal and stares at him expectantly.

"Fuck." Chansung knows he made a mistake. He also knows talking dirty is the way to go. Just the thought of Junho's mouth around his cock turns him into a submissive mush and he gives in, completely broken. "Please, Junho, suck my cock. I want your lips, your tongue around it. I'm begging. Please." Chansung cries out helplessly and Junho's wicked smile widens as he lowers himself and, to Chansung's greatest joy, his mouth surrounds his almost exploding erection.

Chansung's moan is the greatest music to Junho's ear, and he bobs his head up and down, humming and sending vibrations down the cock he's sucking, making Chansung huff out long uneven breaths. All the heat pools up in his groin but before he can come, Junho's mouth is gone and the dream is too.

"Junho..." He wheezes pleadingly.

"Hush." He presses a finger against Chansung's lips and whispers, looking closely. "I'll make you come without touching your dick." Chansung bites on his lip at how seductive Junho looks with his half-lidded eyes, his parted wet lips, his sweaty chest... Chansung doesn't protest anymore, there's a reward waiting and he's sure Junho can make anything possible. Even making him come without touching his throbbing cock.

Junho fishes a bottle full of liquid somewhere from beneath the sheets and coats his fingers and cock with it, staring at Chansung's starving eyes. He then leans down and kisses him, but the finger probing him lightly brings Chansung's thoughts to what's happening to his hole. At first, it doesn't feel very comfortable, but Junho's a champion at making him relax, stretching him slowly with enviable patience while occupying Chansung's hazy mind with passionate kisses.

"Relax, love," he whispers in-between kisses, adding more fingers and Chansung starts feeling pleasure, his ring muscles being stimulated in all the right spots. Chansung heaves a sigh and bucks his hips into Junho's fingers, involuntarily asking for more.

Junho sits back on his knees between Chansung's legs and grabs his waist pulling his ass higher, placing Chansung legs onto his shoulders. He glances at Chansung and the latter nods, more than ready to be fucked by Junho.

He takes his cock in one hand, holding onto Chansung left thigh with the other and pushes in slowly, moans escaping both of their mouths. "You're so hot." Junho says, his words sending another bolt of electricity to Chansung's dick.  


He starts moving his hips, pushing in and out at a slow pace, but gradually he moves faster, staring at his own cock sliding in and out of Chansung's lubricated hole. Chansung moves in unison with him, slamming his ass against Junho's thighs and he blurts out something, that makes Junho stop briefly. "Fuck me hard. So hard I can't breathe."

This is it, Junho loses his own sanity and starts pounding rough and hard, and Chansung takes it all. There are sounds of skin slapping against skin, grunts, moans, and even if they were surrounded by a herd of zombies and they'd be fucking in the middle of it, Chansung wouldn't care. Junho's fucking him so hard, fingers gripping roughly onto his thighs, sliding up and down against Junho's wet chest. Junho’s hitting right into the bundle of nerves that floods him with pleasure, and Chansung comes all over his own chest, the contraction of his ring muscles squeezing Junho's cock hard and making him come a second later, releasing his semen inside Chansung. Junho rides out his orgasm and finally pulls out, semen dripping out of Chansung's asshole. He releases Chansung's legs and climbs up his body, landing on top of him, giving him a sloppy after-sex kiss.

"Give me a moment." Chansung breathes out and Junho rolls off of him, a satisfied and proud smile on his face.

"I didn't know you were such a dirty whore." He teases.

"I didn't know _you_ were such a dirty whore." Chansung replies. "Come on, you can untie me now."

"Do I have to?" He hovers above Chansung's face, grinning.

"Junho." Chansung commands, letting Junho know the game's over just as his patience.

"Okay okay." Junho sighs and undoes the scarf. Chansung's wrists are bright red. "Hmm, maybe it was too tight."

"No shit." Chansung moves suddenly and presses Junho into the bed, straddling his hips and pulling his arms above his head this time. "Not gonna lie though. I enjoyed it." There's a smug smirk on Junho's face. "But if you want to torture me, at least let me touch you."

"It would be different if I allowed you to touch me. That's the exciting part, Chansung-ah." He coos and Chansung's grip on his wrists lightens, so Junho moves his arms, circling them around Chansung's neck. "You're so desperate you'll do anything to release yourself." He says knowingly, and Chansung feels like Junho's relating not only to sex here.

"Ah..." He sighs and buries his face into the nape of Junho's neck, his hands on his flanks. "We should take our final shower. For real, this time." Chansung mumbles, Junho's fingers stroking his hair gently.

"Yeah, tomorrow our trip resumes." Junho exhales and holds onto Chansung tighter. "We will get _our_ answers soon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This must be the raunchiest sex scene I've ever written... I hope you enjoyed it lol. Well, not only that, but the rest of the chapter too lol.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks @egle0702 for editing!

There's a sense of unity when Junho approaches the garage, being the last one to leave their cosy haven that is this mountain house. They feel strong, replenished and their stomachs are full. There's one more thing that makes Junho feel at ease: Chansung's immune. That changes a lot of things, the most important one being the fact Junho won't have to worry about Chansung being bitten anymore. However, that doesn't mean Chansung himself will stop worrying about the rest of this group.

Junho's aware of Chansung's protectiveness, and despite the fact he has asked everyone to look at their situation and him differently, Junho has a hunch that they will require Chansung's leadership in one way or the other out of sheer habit. He has been the leader since the beginning and Junho doubts this perception will change soon in Taecyeon and Nichkhun's minds especially; it's like a father would ask to stop calling him dad and instead call him by his given name.

As he watches Wooyoung check the snow mobiles before the ride, already moved outside the garage, Junho thinks Wooyoung will adapt to everything; he joined Chansung‘s squad only a month ago, just like Junho.

_Wow, how much can change within a few weeks_ , Junho drifts away mentally. In all honesty, Junho feels like it‘s been months, not weeks. The perception of time definitely can blow your mind when you are lost in it without the usual daily schedule.

"Got everything?" Chansung comes closer to Junho, his lively voice pulling Junho out of the memory lane.

"Yeah," Junho drops the huge backpack on the snow. "There's not much food left, though; we kind of got carried away replenishing ourselves." He smirks."Same with medication and bandages. I think we should make a stop at this city, perhaps we can find a gun shop, too." He points at the map in his hands. Even if they reach their destination soon, they need to be prepared for the worst. Just like always. Earlier Chansung has proposed getting more supplies and no one argued, knowing all too well there’s a possibility of force majeure which might affect their well-being. No one wants to eat snow.

"We need to find a proper car there." Taecyeon notes, appearing beside Chansung. Junho nods at him. "Do you think it will be enough to reach the city with what we have now?" He glances at Nichkhun filling the snow mobiles with the leftover gas.

"According to my calculations, we might have to walk a few kilometres on foot." Junho frowns slightly. They thought the snow mobiles were already filled with fuel, but they weren't. However, they were fortunate the owner of the house had some prepared in advance. "We will have to drive slower to save some gas."

"We should get there by noon in that case." Chansung concludes. "Okay, so how do we distribute the weight? There are 5 of us." He speaks louder, so that everyone could hear him and offer their thoughts. Junho smiles to himself.

"Well," Wooyoung looks up as he leans back on the snow mobile. "You and Taecyeon are the biggest ones here, so it'd be best if you took the bag with you, and the rest of us will take the second vehicle. Nichkhun weighs nothing basically." He shrugs while everyone snorts at the remark and Nichkhun pushes him playfully.

"It's all muscle." Nichkhun retorts in a vain attempt to justify his lean build.

"I'll drive." Junho states, thrusting the map into his coat pocket, saving Nichkhun from further pseudo-bullying. Junho puts the helmet on; they've found a few of them in the garage. Not enough, but at least those driving will have proper protection against snow and winds. The others had grabbed skiing goggles and scarves.

"I hope you're nothing like public bus drivers, otherwise, I'm risking to be stabbed by your sword if you stop abruptly." Wooyoung says, ready to be sandwiched between Junho and Nichkhun.

"Have some faith. It's sheathed." Junho snickers, taking his seat. 

Chansung takes the driver's position on the second snow mobile and Taecyeon lands behind him, a heavy backpack on his shoulders. Junho glances at the mountains and the cloudy sky; it's so peaceful here, feels like another reality. He doesn't know about the others, but he believes he isn't the only one feeling kind of nostalgic about this place, even if they’ve stayed here just for a couple of days. He pushes the feeling aside, because there's a stronger one bothering him; the anticipation. He's been thinking about the mysterious research lab for so long and now that he's finally so close to the finish line, Junho feels conflicted. 

Is that place still intact? And if it is, will he get what he wants? More than that, what if he gets disappointed? That's what he's scared of the most. He's not alone now. Chansung needs some answers too, and the rest of the group deserves to get a breather after such a long and not so successful trip. Junho doesn't waver when Chansung glances at him and nods back, with a smile on his face. There's so much at stake and the lingering feeling of guilt never leaves Junho. He’s got this group into this mess and he has to repair the damage.

"Everyone's ready?" Chansung asks and Wooyoung circles his arms tighter around Junho's waist. Everyone answers positively. "Okay, let's see what's behind these mountains." The two engines roar and they shoot forward, leaving trails of pressed snow behind them.

 

There's less snow as they move southwards and away from the mountains, but there's still enough to make it hard to see the road. If it weren’t for the road signs or the layout of the trees, they'd probably get lost. The map's a huge help, too. Junho adjusts his helmet, sheltering his skin from the chilly wind. Chansung's snow mobile is on his left, and so far there hasn’t been any bigger obstacles on the road, but some tire tracks have caught Junho’s eye. They haven’t been very fresh, but seeing a sign of life is both comforting and scary. Who are these people? Are they still alive? Or have they turned into one of those roamers lurking near the road? Whoever they are, they were headed the same direction.

After a few hours Junho notices a yellow light on the fuel panel and knows they'll have to ditch the snow mobiles soon. As they approach the urban area, Junho sees clearer horizons of the city and his vehicle gives out, halting abruptly as it can't go on on fumes anymore. Chansung stops beside them, raising up his helmet’s cover.

"No more fuel?" He inquires.

"Yeah. That's it for us. You can go further if you have some left." Junho suggests.

"Nah, we're not separating. We're running on fumes too." Chansung says and gets off the snow mobile, Taecyeon following his suit. "Kind of sad to leave those here, but we have to find a decent car, safer driving in the dark."

"Yeah," Taecyeon agrees. "Not to mention it's really cold going against the wind." He shudders and Junho notices his red nose.

"You could make a great Rudolph though." Junho notes, Wooyoung's snorting behind him.

"Right, we must be close to Christmas. I'll ask Santa to get you some sugar so you'd be less salty." Collective snorts and chuckles erupt, bringing a grin of satisfaction to Taecyeon's face. Junho purses his lips and shakes his head, clicking his tongue defeated. Lesson learned, don't make fun of Taecyeon.

"Come on, we don't have time for this." Chansung tries to hide his smile, but Junho glances at him menacingly, feeling betrayed, so the latter just glues his lips into a thin line.

It takes another hour to reach the city and when they do, Chansung points at the first house in the outskirts of the city saying they should make a quick stop there before deciding on their further actions. They check the rooms quickly and the house appears to be a zombie free zone, so they gather in the living room.

"Have you seen them?" Chansung asks, referring to the amount of zombies roaming the streets.

"Yeah," Nichkhun nods. "Seems quite dangerous and we have nothing but knives. Well, Junho has his sword, but still..."

Silence falls and Junho inhales deeply, sensing what must be going through Chansung's mind. He's probably being pressured by his sense of responsibility, burdened by the thoughts of a possible loss if they all venture into the city. And they need to do it. 

Junho decides to take it into his hands and offer something rather logical, that probably hasn't crossed anyone's mind since this room is filled with team players.

"I think, Chansung and I should go into the city." All eyes are on him. "We're immune." He explains simply. "It's pointless for you to go with us, you could just stay here and wait. I think that's the safest bet." Junho says and sees epiphany in a few pairs of eyes.

"He has a point." Wooyoung agrees, flopping on a sofa, clearly tired from walking through the snowy road.

"I don't see why this would be a bad plan." Chansung says and Junho doesn't miss a spark of relief in his eyes. They will take what they need and come back to the guys, who will be staying here safely.

"You sure?" Taecyeon has a crease of worry between his eyebrows, not too fond of the idea of a temporary separation.

"Yeah, we're immune. Just stay here and we will be back in an hour or two, depends on how successful our search is. Don't leave this house until we're back. Got it?" Chansung pats Taecyeon's shoulder and he nods.

"I hope you don't mind my offer." Junho says when they exit the house and make their way to the main street.

"Not at all, it's smart. I mean, I'm still not used to the idea I can walk among these corpses and no one will bite me." Junho smiles at Chansung, knowing how crazy that must feel.

"It takes time, I guess. They might walk up to you sometimes, but once they get a hint of your scent or something, they just walk away. Don't get spooked. Also," He takes Chansung's hand in his, a look of confusion on the latter's face. "We can walk like a real couple in the middle of the street and no one will care."

"Zombies don't discriminate." Chansung chuckles and squeezes Junho's hand, content with his calming presence.

The deeper they go into the city, the more zombies they meet. Junho notices how Chansung's fingers clasp harder around his hand when a zombie walks closer to them, his inner defence mechanism reacting to a possible threat constantly. As they walk further and pass by more zombies, that nervous twitching around Junho's hand fades, Chansung seems to be getting used to it, to the fact that he doesn't have to be alert or feel threatened; his life isn't in danger anymore. This feeling of blending in is empowering and Junho knows Chansung must be feeling it because his grip relaxes and so does his face. It's also a new experience for Junho in a way that he's not alone anymore. He has someone by his side and this togetherness puts Junho at ease.

"Look," Junho stops and points at a small shopping mall. "Wanna check it out?"

"Sure."

They avoid broken shards of glass, entering through the empty door rims. Looters must have gotten into the building a very long time ago and maybe some of them didn't even have a chance to leave, dark spots on the floor indicating there was some bloodshed. They turn the flashlights on, the darkness consuming every ray of light as they‘re making their way across the hallway. Junho sighs, seeing dead bodies on the floor, missing some body parts, the view overall is quite gruesome. He hears low groans, but doesn't mind them; he just wants to find supplies and get out of there. Judging by the grim look on Chansung's face he wants to flee this place no less.

There's a drug shop and the shelves are half messy, however, there are still some bandages and first aid kits left, some pills too. Junho opens one of the kits and finds wound sewing tools, which seem to be very high-in-demand nowadays among the group. He nods to himself satisfied and puts the supplies in a bag, secretly hoping this is the last time he has to think about patching up someone. He glances at Chansung stuffing his bag with some bottles and pill packages.

"Do you really think we need that much?" Junho chuckles lightly and Chansung looks back at him wide eyed. "We might reach the lab tonight." Chansung stares at the stuff he's already put in the bag. He thinks briefly before answering.

"What if the lab's... Gone." Junho purses his lips at the thought. "It must have crossed your mind."

"Yeah," He stands up. "If it's gone, then it's gone. We will think of something else if it comes to that."

"You know, looking at you, everything seems so easy," Chansung smiles and closes the bag. "But it's not, is it?"

Junho runs a hand through his hair and leans back on the shelf, feeling Chansung's curious stare on his profile. "I'm just like you. A human." He turns his head towards Chansung and grins. "Come, let's look for food."

The food department is also in a mess and they stack their bags with water bottles, canned food, nuts and potato chips. Junho notices a shopping cart and grabs it, both of them relieving their shoulders off some weight and throwing the bags in it. 

Chansung seems to be amused by something when he stops in front on an electronics shop, and Junho cocks his eyebrow when Chansung quickly grabs something off the shelf. Junho comes closer to see what he’s got; it's an electronic watch, still going on batteries. Chansung attaches it on his wrist and stares at Junho proudly.

"Current time: December 22nd, 2:46PM."

"That definitely gives some insight." Junho smirks. It's been a while since he knew the exact time and date.

"Right?"

"If we're lucky enough, we can have a jolly Christmas dinner at the lab." Junho notes as they leave the shopping mall, pushing the cart carefully so they wouldn't hit anything with the tiny wheels.

They walk a few more blocks in silence, when Chansung points his finger at the gas station a bit further. He's about to make his way towards it, when Junho catches his arm and cocks his head to their right, both of them looking at a partially broken signboard, hanging on some electric wires.

_GUNS & AMMO_

Chansung's eyes light up and he runs to the door just to find them locked. Junho notices the signs of someone's attempts to break in, but the steel roller shutter is still intact. That someone most likely didn't have much time. Junho kneels down and brushes off the snow where he finds two locks, securing the door. One of them is damaged really bad and the other one not so much.

It takes some time for him to hack the badly damaged lock, snow turning into a slushy mess and feeling very unpleasant beneath his knees. Roamers walk away and scatter, not minding the two living men anymore. The second lock is even harder to hack, but Junho knows impatience is the wrong key, so he works slowly, but confidently, with Chansung bustling behind him in one place. Junho snorts at the taller male.

"What?"

"With your impatience I wonder how you were able to perform military operations."

"Hey, I'm patient when necessary."

"I don't know, the other night you seemed pretty impatient when I needed you to be patient." Junho grins looking up at Chansung's annoyed face.

"That wasn’t a military operation. Oh, and you just wait when it’s my turn to test your patience..." He stares down at Junho sharply, making his intentions more than clear and Junho's grin widens.

"Hmm..." He hums suggestively and gazes back at the lock. It finally clicks. "Done." Junho holds onto the bottom of the roller shutter and Chansung joins him to pull it up together. There's a steel door and another lock for Junho to hack. Tired of it, Junho sighs in annoyance. "And behind this door, there will be another door with 5 locks securing it, but you will also have to sacrifice a virgin, blood of a bat and a golden cock ring." His fingers are already burning from working on the previous two locks. He'd rather kick the door out, but there's no way it'd give in so easily; it's a gun shop after all. He feels Chansung's palm circling soothingly on his back and he starts picking the lock. With Chansung's mental support, it doesn't take very long and he's finally able to open the door.

Chansung pushes the shopping cart with their bags inside the shop and Junho follows behind him. The light coming from the windows covered with thick iron bars is enough, so at first they look around standing by the counter near the entrance.

"Crap." Chansung says, witnessing empty shelves. "Why would you empty your shop and then lock it under a ton of locks?" He opens the blinds.

"I don't believe it's completely empty, there must be some guns hidden, maybe a back room. Perhaps the owner thought of coming back, so he hid some guns from the looters?" Junho reasons and Chansung nods at him. That makes sense. “Maybe the city got overrun before the owner could get back to the shop.”

"Well then, let's search every inch of this dusty shop." Chansung says and Junho's about to follow him, but he notices a shadow coming from behind, so he turns around and his face is met with a hard object, sending him to the ground. He shakes his head trying to regain the sense of his surroundings, seeing his own blood dripping on the wooden floorboards, his lip aching like hell. Junho raises his head as he moves onto his knees and sees a gun barrel pointed right at his face. He notices the door being shut, two more men behind the one pointing a gun at him.

"Tall one, join him on your knees." Junho glances at Chansung, who's showing no signs of distress. That's the military training for you. "And you, give me your sword, don't try acting like a smartass." The man with long wavy hair grins, showing a set of filthy teeth. He presses the gun to Junho's forehead and Junho removes the sword holster off his shoulder, throwing it on the floor. The man kicks it away from Junho, while the other two position themselves behind the kneeling duo. 

"Aw, you're bleeding, such a pretty face." Junho wants to puke when the alleged leader looks down at him, the smell of smoke and something rotten hitting him right in the face. "Hey, fellas, maybe we should keep this one to have some fun with later? As long as he has a hole, am I right? We will eat the bigger guy first. Ain't he meaty?" They all laugh and Junho's stomach drops, completely grossed out by them. He keeps his cool though; he can't let the enemy know how he's feeling and Chansung beside him has the same expressionless face. "We've been following you lot, good thing you separated. So, who's the leader in this group?"

Junho speaks up before Chansung does, praying he'd follow along. Being in a tight situation like this, there's not much they can do; they're at a disadvantage. Junho's pretty good at lying, sadly, Chansung knows that all too well. He decides to take the reigns into his hands and he has only one objective: to get out of here alive. With Chansung. 

"I'm the leader." He states calmly and to his relief, Chansung plays along with it. At this moment, Junho realises how much trust Chansung must have in him. Junho will not fuck this up, he will use this opportunity to show Chansung that his trust has been placed in the right person.

"You see, we've been eyeing this gun shop for a very long time now, but we didn't have a chance getting inside quickly without getting eaten. You, however, did it without any disturbance." The leader pulls back his gun from Junho's forehead. "Tell me, how the fuck did you go through all these zombies without getting bit? Do you have a secret anti-zombie repellent?" He laughs with his minions.

This is it. This is the opportunity to turn everything around and Junho has only one chance to make this right. The only weapon he has is within him. During the time he has spent locked and experimented on at the research facility, he learned one thing; his blood was used to turn people. His blood was the catalyst to the facility's downfall.

And he will use it now. He just needs to transfer his blood into the enemy's blood system. Junho feels his own blood dripping down his chin more than ever, the liquid burning his skin, ready to be transferred onto another person. He also knows these guys won't use their noisy guns if they want to get out of here alive.

"I could tell you, but..." Junho smirks. "I'm not sure your colleagues will be happy to hear it. But I think I could share this secret with you only. The solution isn’t easy, but totally worth it. You can decide if you want to share it with your friends later on." He sets the doubt.

The man leans down slightly, suspicion all over his face, but Junho's manipulative words work like magic on this scumbag with an intelligence of a shoe rack, because the interest in his eyes grows with every second that Junho keeps on staring at him. "Try anything funny and I'll cut off your tongue." He hisses, salivating at the thought of walking safe among the zombies.

"Come on, you took my weapon. Even if I wanted to I could do nothing to you. There are three of you." Junho belittles himself purposely, giving more confidence to their attackers.

The man's muddy eyes tremble with the want to know and Junho knows he's got him. Now or never.

A curtain of oily wavy hair brushes against Junho's cheek as the man leans down to hear out Junho's secretive whisper and Junho lunges forward, biting into the man's neck so hard the latter drops the gun in shock. There's blood flooding into Junho's mouth, but he keeps on biting like a fighter dog, his teeth sunk deep into the flesh. 

He hears commotion behind him and knows Chansung must be kicking ass, but his own arm burns instantly when it's slashed with a sharp object. Junho yells and releases the man's throat, falling on his back, but managing to grab the gun just in time to shoot the other man into the stomach. Someone drags him on his feet and he'd know those arms even if he were blind. Now there are two against one, as they stare at each other; Junho pointing a gun, a knife in Chansung's hand, a machete in the last living offender's hand.

"You fuckers!" He yells out, but quickly freezes, wide eyed, when one fallen man rises, groaning menacingly. The runner lunges with such force his human subordinate is rendered speechless. He can't really fight against that primal force and there's blood and screaming everywhere, attracting more zombies from the street, banging on the closed shop door and windows.

"Chansung!" Junho shouts, seeing how the second person is turning into a ferocious runner, while the first one runs to the door and smashes his body against it. "We have to kill them. We can't let these monsters get out!" Junho feels his own hands shake and, seeing that, Chansung grabs the gun from Junho's hands and releases a rain of bullets at the freshly turned runners.

Junho collapses on his knees, heaving deeply. The memories from the time he was experimented on are rushing in, the night he tried his best to run away from that place, people being bit and turned almost momentarily. He felt so helpless back then; no one helped him, until he heard Chansung's squad outside. Junho's starting to shake, the panic attack setting in, and only a couple of hands cupping his face firmly bring him back to reality.

"Junho!" Chansung shouts. "Hey, listen to me. It's over!" Junho gulps, gazing into Chansung's eyes. The previous military-trained expressionless face is gone. There's only concern and love, pulling Junho out of his dark memories, which struck him by surprise. He thought he had it under control. How wrong he was. 

Chansung pulls him into a tight embrace, holding Junho against his chest, his hands rubbing Junho's back in those calming circles once again, slowly bringing serenity into Junho's shaken mind. He presses his face into Chansung's neck and inhales his warm scent, letting it overtake his senses, blocking out the banging noises and groans coming from the outside.

Junho doesn't know how long it takes for him to calm down completely, but Chansung keeps on comforting him even when the amount of zombies making the noise increases significantly. Junho's body relaxes and he pulls back.

"Better?" Chansung asks.

"Yeah... It got a little... Out of hand..." Junho smiles timidly. He hates looking weak, but if it's Chansung witnessing it, it's okay.

"Did you... did you think about the experiments?" Junho nods, looking away. "You know," Chansung gets Junho's attention back."I'd give you a comforting kiss, but you have blood all over your face. And a wound on your lip." Junho smiles gently at how considerate Chansung is. Lovely, really.

Chansung's hand squeezes Junho's right arm and he winces in pain. "Fuck." Junho notices blood soaked sleeve. "Shit."

"You're injured. Let's take a better look." Chansung helps Junho out of the coat and other layers of clothing until he's sitting half naked, his skin covered in goose flesh meeting the cold December weather. "Damn." Chansung says seeing a long and deep gash on Junho's upper arm.

"You'll have to stitch me up." Junho exhales, already hating what's about to come.

"Ugh, okay." Chansung grabs the first aid kit from the bag and cleans Junho's wound before sewing it. The disinfectant burns and Junho grits his teeth hissing. "Sorry."

"It's okay, go on." He says and watches Chansung preparing to sew the wound. "At least you didn't get sliced." Junho says, smiling in pain, feeling the needle piercing his skin.

"Yeah. It hurts, doesn't it?" He asks without looking at Junho's face.

"No."

"Liar." Chansung smiles and Junho knows he's doing his best, even though his fingers can't be compared to Junho's as the latter has more experience and, well, talent, when it comes to things like this. Chansung's more talented when it comes to close hand-to-hand combat and that's what saved him from getting injured. Junho's glad to see how their strengths and weaknesses work combined together.

Junho takes a breather when Chansung's done with the wound and cleans up his face while the uninjured male looks for hidden guns. There's nothing in the backroom, but the layout of the wooden floor catches Chansung's attention and upon closer inspection he removes the floor board to find a huge box beneath it. That's the jackpot containing a few automatic rifles, a shotgun and several boxes of bullets. Content with the trophy, Chansung throws the guns and ammo into the shopping cart.

"We probably should use the back door." He notes, looking at the zombies pressed against the front door and windows. "There's no way we can push the cart through them, let alone fight against the current of these corpses."

"Agreed." Junho zips up his coat and picks up his sword off the floor. He stares at the dead bodies, thinking that he really got lucky with the outcome. Minus the injury, but hey, he could be dead just like them. He shakes off that thought.

They don't waste their time with multiple locks and Chansung uses a shotgun to set them free. A gust of snow and wind greets them outside, a complete contrast to the view they have left behind.

"Look." Junho notices footprints leading down the alley. "Must be theirs. Stayed off the main street just to get us here, huh."

"I think we should follow the footsteps. They must have a vehicle if they belong to the cannibal gang and do runs to the cities to stalk survivors."

"I mean that would be the least desired vehicle to use, but what are the chances of us finding a decent running car, right?" Junho's not too fond of the idea of using a car that belongs to cannibal rapist scumbags, but beggars can't be choosers. Chansung goes back to the shop to look for the key and soon comes back swinging it on his finger.

"So, they do have a car." He states, but his voice lacks excitement and Junho relates to that. His stitched arm aches beneath the bandage. No sword fighting for a while.

Junho can see Chansung struggles pushing the cart through the snow, but he can't carry all these bags alone and Junho's feeling sort of useless with his injury. It takes longer than expected for them to find the car, but when they do, they realise it's only a few houses away from where they left Taecyeon, Wooyoung and Nichkhun.

"Creepy much, huh." Junho says and comes closer to the grey pickup truck. He watches Chansung's face twist in disgust when he sees a dead body of a middle aged woman, casually thrown onto the floor. "Fuckers..." He mutters and Chansung has an apologetic look on his face. That could have been him alongside this murdered woman. When Chansung lifts her body, he feels how rigid it is. He lowers her into the snow carefully and for a few moments they stay silent.

Junho walks closer to the pickup truck and sees a few canisters of fuel stacked against the car cabin. He isn't overjoyed with this discovery; he feels it's so wrong to use this goddamn car of horrors, but once again... They  _could_  reach the lab tonight, Junho kicks the snow exasperated. 

"Let's just get the guys and leave." Chansung says and Junho nods sighing, both of them craving to leave this city as soon as possible.

Of course, the looks on their faces, when they see Junho covered in blood and Chansung looking relatively cleaner, are those of a shock. Chansung shares what they went through, seeing anger on Taecyeon and Nichkhun's faces, probably mad at themselves for not being able to help. Wooyoung listens quietly to everything, but his eyes reveal his own conflicted emotions behind the strict expression. Junho doesn't feel like it would've been better if all of them went in there; at least Chansung and he could get out without getting bitten and the rest of the group couldn't have done that. And Junho can deal with the injury, even though it stings like a bitch. He gulps down some painkillers, feeling Chansung's worried gaze and gives him a reassuring smile, because that's all he can do now. Surviving is tough.

The group walks to the vehicle, loads the stuff Chansung and Junho have found, and Taecyeon sits behind the steering wheel, composed and ready to end their long trip tonight. 

 

There are no tire traces and even though it's harder to navigate in darkness, seeing no signs of other humans is relieving. Junho's half asleep at the back seat, his head in Chansung's lap and feet in Wooyoung's; they insisted on his getting some rest and those pills made him drowsy anyway, so it's a win-win situation. Nichkhun's helping with the navigation upfront, but not talking too much, only when necessary. Everyone is tired, but more than that, they want to reach their destination and the anticipation is draining their energy more than they'd like to admit it.

Chansung's fingers run soothingly across Junho's head, massaging his scalp slowly, making Junho relax. Junho teases Chansung about him being impatient, but actually Junho knows perfectly well how patient Chansung is with him, doing everything to make him feel better. Such little unselfish acts mean a great deal to Junho. He feels like it comes automatically, like Chansung doesn't even try or think much of it. He's just that kind of a person who does everything he can to make those he cares about be at ease and unhindered by anything. You can't teach a person to be like this, you have to be born with that quality, and Junho can see why he was chosen to be a team leader. Chansung will put anyone else before him, considering all the risks, and often forgetting about himself while taking care of others and doing what needs to be done of him. That also is bad news, because Junho doesn't want that. He wants Chansung all for himself, fine and healthy. He opens his eyes and looks up at Chansung, promising himself that no matter what they find at their destination, he will put Chansung before anyone else. That's how selfishly in love he is.

"I think we're here." Nichkhun's voice brings everyone back from their slumber. "What time is it, Chansung?"

Chansung's hand leaves Junho's head and he sits up, looking at the watch together with Chansung. "11.39PM. Do you think they'll be sleeping, tucked in their beds?"

"Might be," Nichkhun chuckles. "We will just throw rocks at their windows, maybe a Juliet will come up to greet us."

"A zombie Juliet." Wooyoung murmurs.

"Be more positive, dude." Junho elbows him with the healthy arm. "Maybe they have a zombie Romeo, too."

"Do I look like a necrophiliac to you?" Wooyoung's judgmental eyes bore into Junho's and he laughs.

"Well..." Junho coughs. "With that creepy overgrown mohawk..."

"Then give me a goddamn haircut!" Junho blinks.

"You could have asked me earlier."

"Alright then, I'm asking now."

"Like, right now?"

"You little shit..." Wooyoung is about to pull on Junho's cheek when the car stops and the mood changes instantly.

Everyone stays quiet, taking in the view in front of them. There it is.

There are no lights, it's completely dark. There is a barbed wire fence, around 3 metre tall, then goes a metre wide gap, for patrolling maybe. And then, there is a tall concrete wall and steel gate, bigger than the barbed wire fence. It's like a modern fortress. Everything is in a good shape, nothing's damaged. Taecyeon opens the window to hear anything, but it's dead quiet, giving them the chills. Only the sounds of a nearby river can be heard. Other than that, nothing. No signs of life, no signs of death either.

"So..." Taecyeon pops his lips. "How do we get in?"

Chansung sighs. "We knock."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dun dun duuuuuun! can you guess what's going to happen? hehe


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New characters aw yeah! Tell me your thoughts *w*  
> Thanks @egle0702 for editing!

Snow squeaks under their feet, headlights illuminating the entrance. There are no footprints and the place looks like a giant ghost disturbed by the living. Junho tries to shake off the ominous feeling he's getting from the lack of any visible activity.

"Let's take off our coats. If they have cameras, our uniforms should help get us in." Taecyeon notes and everyone, except for Wooyoung, throws their coats into the car, the engine working quietly.

"This view creeps me out, to be honest." Nichkhun confesses, holding onto the gun hung over his shoulder. "It's like no one's left or entered this place for weeks, maybe months. Perhaps it‘s abandoned." He shares his pessimistic thoughts, and Junho bites on his lip at the idea. It’d be devastating.

"We have to figure it out. And if there is someone in there, they must be sleeping as it’s midnight. We have to wake them up." Chansung comes closer to the wire fence, but Wooyoung’s voice stops him.

"Wait," Wooyoung moves past him and points at the signboard covered by powdery snow. He blows a good amount of air from his lungs and sees a lightning symbol. "It's an electric fence."

"I wonder if it's working." Junho joins Wooyoung as they try to listen, but hear nothing.

"Wanna try it out?" Wooyoung smirks.

"I think we have a volunteer." Taecyeon looks at the darkness behind the car and the group hears a low growl.

"I'll get it." Chansung makes his way towards the noise and Junho wants to come together to get the zombie, but Chansung shakes his head. "Keep your arm safe."

"I hope he didn't bring friends with him." Wooyoung's face shows concern, to which Junho agrees silently. Fighting a bunch of zombies would be troublesome, especially with an injury like this. For now, they have to rely on Chansung.

They can't see how Chansung's doing, because they're blinded by the headlights, so when they hear some rustling and thumping their concern increases.

"Chansung?" Taecyeon calls out first.

"It's okay." His voice echoes closer. "There were four of them." Two silhouettes appear as Chansung has a tight grip on the roamer. Junho sighs in relief. "This might be a bit brutal, but..." He drags the zombie towards the fence and stops in front of it. "Let's hope this is an effective alarm clock." Chansung pushes the growling zombie to the fence forcefully and everyone jumps back slightly, startled by the power of electricity.

"It works." Nichkhun concludes and looks at the fried body. Junho squats in front of it, analysing the outcome.

"Never knew electricity was a weapon against them." He says, noticing the smoke.

"It probably has to do something with a very high voltage. I doubt regular police Taser guns would do the trick." Wooyoung shrugs. "With that said, I don't think we want to touch that fence."

"Do you think we got their attention?" Junho looks at Chansung, who doesn't look too worried. He really has it under control.

"The fence is working. There must be an alarm going off somewhere inside the building. And," He drags the body away. "There must be survivors inside."

They wait in silence, kicking at the snow. To Junho, it feels like ages: he's finally here, right at the entrance and nothing's happening. He looks at the other faces, which are somewhat calm, but thoughtful. They must be worrying about more zombies showing up in case the gate doesn't open. Junho's about to offer to use a body again, when he hears something click and all eyes are on the steel gate, which seems to have woken up from a deep and long slumber. Junho holds his breath, he's sure he's not the only one, and sees multiple lights standing in a squad formation. He counts ten. A full squad.

There are people. They're here.

"Turn the engine and the headlights off." A tall figure upfront commands as they move closer to the wire fence, separating Chansung's group and the squad from the facility.

"Taecyeon." Chansung commands and Junho knows this is it: Chansung's back to being the Sergeant for now.

The engine's off, so are the headlights, and the lab squad lower their guns slightly, so the lights mounted on top of them wouldn't be so blinding.

"Identify yourself." The tone of the squad Leader is cold and formal.

"Sergeant Hwang Chansung, Ok Taecyeon, Nichkhun Buck Horvejkul, Lee Junho and a technical engineer of Northern research facility Jang Wooyoung." Junho notices an earpiece on the Leader's ear. He must be getting orders from the inside and whatever is being told outside must be transmitted to the building. Their stance is strong and Junho cannot see their faces well as they're covered with masks.

"What's your objective? How do you know about this place?" The Leader inquires strictly, his voice slightly husky.

"We heard about it at the Northern laboratory, also, my squad was in talks to secure this facility. We came to see if there are any survivors left." Chansung states calmly, but Junho's a bit confused: he didn't mention anything about them being immune to the virus. Is Chansung trying to protect them, because he's not sure whether these people can be trusted or not? From the looks of it, they do not seem like a very welcoming bunch. Everyone waits for the answer, because, clearly, people from the inside are considering something and it's taking time.

"You must leave." The Leader says and it baffles everyone outside the fence.

"Wait, there must be a misunderstanding. We have nowhere else to go." Chansung states in hopes to change their mind. They must understand the situation these five survivors are in.

"I'm sorry, but you must leave." The man repeats and now panic settles in.

"Hold on," Taecyeon speaks up. "We're from the same pond! A military squad! We have been securing the Northern facility for the last few months!" He tries to reason and no one can speak against that argument, but still, no positive answer, just pointless bickering. 

Junho has had enough of this crap. It's all or nothing, and he doesn't really give a shit about anything else when he throws the final card at these inconsiderate people. This is their last and only chance to convince them; otherwise this entire trip is a complete failure, and Junho won't have that.

"We have people immune to the virus and we want some answers." He hears a few gasps and notices a mild commotion on the other side of the fence. Yes, that's the desired effect, Junho clenches his teeth harder. Chansung stares at him in disbelief, but Junho just shrugs it off.

"You have people, not just one person, immune to the virus?" The Leader inquires doubtfully.

"That is correct." Junho confirms.

"Junho." Chansung says quietly, staring at him with a very deep frown between his eyebrows, but he just shakes his head and carries on with his agenda.

"Why didn't you disclose this information earlier?"

"Because we don't know if you can be trusted or not. For all we know, you could be conducting inhumane experiments here. We went on this trip as the last resort, during which we lost seven squad members. We cannot just turn around and leave, not now. Have some common sense, people." Junho believes he’s pushing the right buttons, because the man stays quiet for a while, waiting for an order.

"Who's immune in the group?" The Leader asks finally.

"Run a blood-test and you'll find out." Junho snaps. "We've told you enough, what to do with it is your choice. Meanwhile, we know nothing about you. Perhaps we should really just turn around and leave. After all, immune people can't be bitten." Junho ends his speech and the waiting game begins. He knows he’s got their interest. If Junho knows something, it’s manipulation.

Somewhere in the darkness, he hears painful moans and curses inwardly, because this is the worst timing. These people better let them in quickly or else they're fucked. Junho notices Wooyoung getting closer to the fence and grabs his arm. "Hey, we got this. Don't fry yourself." Wooyoung nods as the rest of Chansung's squad now turn away from the fence and prepare their guns, noticing approaching silhouettes.

"Don't shoot!" The man behind them yells and Junho can sense exasperation in it. Noise would attract more.

"You don't expect us to ignore a threat." Junho grabs a sword with his healthy arm.

"Alright! You can enter!" The Leader announces quickly, stopping them from firing the guns. "But on a few conditions: you'll have to give us your weapons, belongings, and do as we say."

Chansung scans everyone's faces rapidly and sees no objections. "We agree."

"Open the wire gate!" The Leader commands and Chansung's squad pours inside the safe zone, both gates, wire and steel, closing right before his eyes. They're separated from the danger.

Junho notices a well-known circle formation, the lab squad surrounding them immediately. He also sees a see-through garage with a few military vehicles on his left. A bit further on the right there’s a pyramid-like steel construction, but it's sort of flat and it's not higher than the concrete fence. Near it, on the left, Junho sees a medium-sized dome, covered in black shiny plates. Are those solar panels? The pyramid and the dome are connected by a see-through tunnel. It’s too dark to see what's past the buildings, but one thing is clear: the fence is round and there are no corners. Interesting architectural solution.

"Drop all of your weapons on the ground and kick them towards us." The power Junho had a few seconds ago abandons him and when he gets rid of the sword he starts feeling very unsafe. Junho doesn't know what he got this group into, but it can't be worse than the experiments he had to endure, right? "Now, listen, our community is completely closed, we have rules. I'm sure you can relate." The Leader says. "We will enter that dome, where you'll have to undress and go through a special shower to get rid of all the outside bacteria. Is that clear?"

"Yes." Chansung says and the crowd moves towards the dome.

The walls are white, LED lighting almost giving a headache to Junho; nevertheless, he gets past the uncomfortable feeling and sees two doors in the foyer.

"Alright, get in." The door on the left opens and they enter a very sterile-looking room with a blue shower cabin installed in the tunnel which leads to another room. The squad doesn't follow them here and now they're left all by themselves when the door shuts. Junho's pretty sure all cameras are on them. Maybe there's even a live broadcast in the common room or something.

"Hello," A soft female voice greets them from the speakers. "Please remove everything you're wearing, including bandages and such. Then, one by one, enter the shower cabin. The door will open automatically when you're done. You'll find towels and clothes in the next room."

"We're like cattle here," Wooyoung murmurs, undressing himself hesitantly and Junho has to agree. It's very uncomfortable.

Chansung goes first, then Taecyeon, Nichkhun, Wooyoung, and Junho's the last one to enter the shower. He throws the bloody bandage into the garbage bin and tries to ignore his ugly wound. That antiseptic water will probably sting. He sighs and enters the cabin.

_Fuck_ , he grunts inwardly, because the water pressure against his skin feels very hard and painful. He's being sprayed from all directions, his wound burning like hell from whatever antiseptic that's in the water. The door opens and Chansung hands him a towel, which Junho wraps around his hips and grabs another one quickly to cover his wound; it's bleeding and it seems like a few stitches got damaged.

Everyone's dressed in dark blue pants, t-shirt and slippers; Junho does his best getting dressed up fast. Chansung gives him a concerned look, noticing the dirty towel wrapped around his arm.

"I suck at sewing." He states and Junho just chuckles lightly.

"You did your best." Junho holds onto his arm and they wait inside the room for some time before the door opens and they enter another foyer with only one door in the middle of the wall. That must be an elevator. From the room on the right the squad appears again and this time they feel like normal people because they're dressed in casual clothes. The only difference is guns in their arms. The tall man comes towards them and this must be the leader from before as a familiar voice escapes his mouth.

"I suppose I should introduce myself. I'm Jung Jihoon and this is my squad." He reaches his hand out and Chansung shakes it, feeling less formal about the entire situation when he can actually see their faces. "Sorry for being so harsh, but we have rules and our job is to obey orders. I'm pretty sure you’re cool guys who went through a lot. How long did it take to get here?"

"About a month." Chansung answers, adjusting to the change in the mood.

"That's a long time..." He tilts his head slightly, probably someone giving a command through the earpiece. "Okay, we have a green light. Let's go meet the lady."

"The lady?" Junho asks intrigued as they enter a rather big elevator, plenty of space for this bunch.

"She's the boss here." Jihoon explains, a friendly smile on his face. He looks more approachable compared to his strict act outside.

"Funny, that's the second lady in charge we’ve met during our trip." Junho notes, wondering if this lady will be as nice as Yubin.

"Is that so?" Junho nods at Jihoon, pursing his lips as the elevator stops.

_Floor -5. Medical research department_. An automatic voice announces and Junho checks the panel to see there are 7 underground floors in total. This building must be huge.

"You know, he looks like your father." Wooyoung whispers to Junho when they walk across the corridor.

"Huh?"

"The guy, he kind of looks very similar to you." Wooyoung stares at the back of Jihoon and grins.

"Oh shut up." He turns away from the grinning Wooyoung and stares at a variety of small labs through the dark windows instead. He wonders if everyone in this community knows about their arrival already. Judging by their previous behaviour, it doesn't seem like they get guests often.

The next room they enter is a rather big space full of medical equipment and Junho shudders slightly, because the view is sort of similar to the lab he had been locked in. But then again, all labs have a similar feeling and look to them. He fights inwardly to push those memories aside.

Junho sees a middle-aged woman standing in the middle of the lab, wearing simple jeans and a black blouse. Her hair is tied in a knot and she looks slightly strict, but her eyes have kindness in them. Quite a contradiction.

They stand in a straight line, Wooyoung on his right and Chansung on his left, then goes Taecyeon and Nichkhun. Junho holds onto his arm tighter.

"Welcome to Solis research facility." Her voice is smooth and pleasant; a polite smile decorates her face. "I'm Uhm Junghwa, the head of Solis." They bow to each other. "My, you seem to have an injury." She looks at Junho's arm concerned.

"I can handle it." He says in a mellow voice, not to sound like an ass, but she just chuckles at his display of manliness.

"Our doctor will be with us shortly. Meanwhile, I have something to tell you, because you seem to be concerned about how we operate things here. That is perfectly understandable," She clasps her hands together a little below her chest. "We do not intend to hold you hostages; however, we require that you act according to our rules, which are very simple: do not do anything to sabotage the functionality of this facility, do not rebel, and if you face a problem always come to me. I will try my best to find the best solution. Also, you're free to leave if you ever feel the need to do so. We will not hold you back, but we also will not welcome you back. Is that clear?" She looks at Chansung and he nods. "Alright. I know you have some questions, but it's rather late and I'd like to hold a meeting with all of you tomorrow after you get some proper rest. I'm sure you're tired. Oh," she looks past Chansung's head at someone walking from behind. "Here he is."

The man walks past Nichkhun, and Junho examines him looking at his back. He's dressed in black jeans and a grey sweater, no white coat as it'd be expected from a doctor. Junho notices how wide the man's shoulders are, and as he stops beside the head of Solis, he turns around and smiles lightly. His bright brown hair is parted in the middle, a little messy, and a pair of round glasses with dark rims frames his handsome face. Junho was expecting an old professor and this one looks pretty young. Just when the doctor's eyes scan past him and stop on Wooyoung's face, his smile drops and he speaks out quietly, but everyone hears it.

"Wooyoung?"

Junho instantly, like everybody else, stares at Wooyoung, whose face is equally astonished. Junghwa quickly grabs the doctor's arm and turns away to have a few private words with him, so Junho uses this chance to interrogate Wooyoung.

"You know him?!" He squeaks quietly into Wooyoung's face.

"I do." He gulps, gazing at the man's back. Something tells Junho this is not a very pleasant reunion.

"What? How?" Wooyoung's face turns grim as he looks back at Junho.

"He's my ex." Junho's mouth is gaping wide. That was a surprise to say the least.

"Ex? Why?" Junho's curiosity gets the better of him and he ignores the fact that he's probably prying into something not too sweet, because Wooyoung's face doesn't shine with happiness. There's so much happening behind those eyes.

"Let's just say he erased me from his life without asking." Wooyoung licks his lips and stares down at his blue slippers. Junho's never seen him so sad.

"Wow." Is all he can reply with.

"Yeah, wow." Wooyoung's cheerless smile makes Junho frown. It hits him in the brain that maybe, he's just assuming though, maybe this man is the reason Wooyoung's so messed up. Although it could’ve be just the apocalypse. 

Junghwa clears her throat and they're facing Chansung's group now. Junho notices the signature poker face Wooyoung has mastered so well and knows it's for his own protection.

"It appears we have common friends. That's good news. Jihoon, your job here is done.” She dismisses them and the squad leaves. “Anyway," Her eyes shift from Wooyoung back to Chansung. "This is Kim Minjun, he's the head of our medical research department and he specialises in microbiology and virology. Would you be so kind and tell us who's immune in your group? Minjun's going to take care of you and the rest will be taken care of his assistant Fei." She glances at the far left where a woman, dressed in simple sweatpants and a sweatshirt, her hair tied into a ponytail, stands and waves her hand smiling.

Chansung looks at Junho and he nods, because this is the finish line and it’s the right time to reveal the truth. "Me and Junho."

"Alright then, Minjun will take over from here." She smiles at him. "I'll leave you now and see you all tomorrow after breakfast." Junghwa bows slightly and exits the room, leaving Minjun in charge. Junho doesn't know how to feel about him, because on one hand, he clearly has a difficult past with Wooyoung, but on another hand, he must be good at what he does to be in this position.

"Chansung and Junho, is that it?" He looks at them, his eyes filled with pure curiosity.

"Yeah, that’s us." Chansung confirms, looking more comfortable than before.

"Come with me, the rest will be taken care of by Fei. We will check your health and get some blood samples." Junho doesn't miss that longing glance he gives Wooyoung when he comes closer to the immune duo and leads them to a smaller lab room while Fei takes the trio to another one. "You're from the Northern lab, right?" He asks as he shows Junho to sit on the table.

"Yes." Junho says and thinks how fucked they'd be if they knew Junho's the one responsible for the explosion.

"I knew they conducted some... Experiments." He stares at Junho. "There was one immune person they had on their hands. A young male who was bit in the neck. Was that you?" Junho gulps feeling Minjun’s intense gaze on his neck. Oh, this guy knows something.

"Yes."

"Hey," Minjun pats his healthy arm and smiles, dissipating the tension created by Junho's mind. "Don't be so uptight. I'm not going to treat you like an animal. That's why we cut all the contact with them. I do not condone inhuman experiments. However, we noticed all communications were lost from their side a month ago, that's exactly when you left, I suppose. What happened?" Junho gulps, feeling the guilt creeping upon him, but Chansung frees him of answering this one.

"An accident happened in the lab and the building was set to self-destruct. Junho's immunity helped him get out of there on time, and my squad was doing some outside work with Wooyoung and his colleague. We got out alive."

"I see." Minjun's face clouds up a little, but then he glances at Junho's arm wrapped in a bloody towel. "What happened to you?"

"We were attacked by cannibals today." He says, glad the lab topic is closed now. "My arm got slashed by a machete." Minjun's expression gets sour at the mental image. "I asked Chansung to sew it, but apparently, your magical shower was stronger than the stitches."

"Yeah, the pressure's quite high in it. Okay, I'll re-stitch your wound. Also," He grabs something from a drawer. "I'll give you local anaesthesia to soothe the pain. I'm guessing you had to do it without any."

"Unfortunately, you’re right." Junho scratches his neck, smirking.

"Bummer." Minjun says and puts plastic gloves on, ready to work on Junho's wound. He removes the towel, examines the wound and looks at Chansung. "Well, you tried." Junho snickers while Chansung just looks down in defeat.

He injects the anaesthetic, and when Junho feels the the effect , he’s happy he won't have to go through the pain again. Minjun sits on a tall chair and starts removing old stitches carefully. So far, he looks like a cool guy, Junho can't ask directly what happened between him and Wooyoung, but he can try going around...

"So, you know Wooyoung." Junho states and Minjun purses his lips in an awkward smile, his eyes concentrated on the wound.

"What a coincidence, isn't it?" It feels like he says that more to himself than Junho. "How's he doing?"

"It's been hard on him," Junho watches Minjun's profile. He appears to be very attentive. "He lost a colleague on the way here; we all went through some hardships, but especially Wooyoung, I think. He doesn't have the training necessary to survive in this environment. We had some issues with him, but there's nothing an honest conversation can't fix. Everything's fine now. We even taught him a few things, like self-defence."

"He's a quick learner," Minjun states knowingly, a barely visible smile on his face. "It's good to know he's doing well."

"Were you happy to see him?" Junho asks innocently and Minjun stops in mid-motion, his eyes fixed on the wound, but his mind somewhere else.

"Of course." He answers finally and is about to wrap up with the procedure. "Though it's the opposite for him, probably." Minjun says quietly and looks up at Junho. "Did he tell you anything about us?"

"Only that you're his ex."

"I see..." Minjun sighs and places a huge band-aid over the freshly stitched wound. Junho doesn't pry deeper. “When did you two get bit?” He changes the topic and grabs a chart to write down some information.

“Junho got bit about 2 months ago and as for me, it happened just yesterday.” Chansung explains, sitting beside Junho.

“Really? Wow. Impressive.” Minjun raises his eyebrows, writing down something on the chart. There’s also something that Junho would like to arrange, but just thinking about asking it makes him feel like a kid. This is so stupid. He’s a grown up.

“Um, I have a question...” Minjun looks at Junho, who feels his ears getting hot. “How will you arrange our accommodation?"

"Each person has a separate room, don’t worry. We have enough space." Minjun doesn’t catch the drift just yet, so Junho has no other option but to be forward. Minjun doesn’t know he’s in a relationship with Chansung.

"Would it be possible for us to get one room?" His skin gets hotter and Junho hates being so obvious when it comes to talking about something so personal. But Minjun should understand them; he was Wooyoung’s boyfriend after all.

"You and Chansung?" He asks and Junho nods. Minjun's eyes dart to them both a few times and then he grins, understanding the relationship between them too. "Oh. Sure. Newlyweds suite perhaps?" Junho's face is beet red and Minjun gives him an apologetic smile, patting his shoulder. "Sorry, sorry. I'll show you to it when we're done." His sense of humour reminds Junho of Wooyoung and he sighs; two slightly bitter and sarcastic guys. Must have been one hell of a couple. Though Wooyoung’s more evil and dark, while Minjun seems to be slightly more benevolent.

The doctor checks their vitals, fills a few more charts and gets a couple of blood samples, while chatting about their trip and other things. Junho and Chansung learn that there are 44 people in total (excluding them) and not all the scientists managed to get back to Solis on time. Mainly because it's in such a remote place and the virus spread very fast during the holidays. Originally, Minjun wasn't the head of the medical research department, but out of those who had made it to this place, he was chosen as one. Junho realises this man must be quite a genius to achieve so much at his age. To become an employee at Solis you had to go through rigorous tests and Minjun passed them.

He leads them to the elevator and presses -1 on the panel where the living quarters are located. Junho pays attention to the emergency exit plan and sees the layout of the building, which looks like a snowflake: elevator shaft in the middle and six sections on every floor. 

Junho grabs onto the elevator railing, feeling very dizzy all of a sudden and Chansung, realising that, supports Junho's shoulders latching his arm across them.

"Are you okay?" Minjun's face appears before his and he looks very concerned.

"I'm just dizzy." He answers, closing his eyes briefly.

"Does this happen often?" Minjun's all back to business, touching Junho’s face and looking into his eyes for something.

"Only when I'm tired, I think. I went through some exhausting stuff today." He explains and smiles reassuringly, so Minjun backs away slowly. "I just need to get some rest, don't worry."

"If you say so..." Minjun glances at him suspiciously, but doesn't say anything else.

They exit the elevator and Minjun leads them to the section number 3 through the round hallway.

"This will be your section, our people share the first two." He says and an automatic door opens.

"So you still have three sections left. How many people used to work here?" Chansung asks, walking on Minjun's right with Junho propped against his side.

"197." He stops in front of a door. "This facility was built to withstand anything; it was also considered that in a case of emergency we might need a lot of living space. They were right, though they didn't foresee that only a small fraction would survive. So, we have a hotel here, basically." He swipes the magnetic key.

"Where's the rest of our group?" Chansung inquires before entering the room.

"They're staying in these three rooms." Minjun points at the doors across from theirs and hands the magnetic key to Chansung. "Well then, have a good night, it's pretty late. Someone will come to get you in the morning and we will have a meeting after breakfast. See you tomorrow." Minjun waves his hand.

"Okay, thanks." Junho follows Chansung into the room and closes the door. "Finally." He flops face down onto the bed, still feeling dizzy. His arm got fixed, they got into the facility, he has a warm bed and he has Chansung beside him. Everything went better than expected.

"We have a private bathroom." Chansung's voice echoes from it and Junho rolls on his back to take a better look at this compact room. The walls are dark green like moss, there are lights installed across the walls in two thin lines all around the room. There's a small table beside the wall across from the entrance, two chairs, also two separate wall lamps beside the bathroom door. It feels cosy in here. He rolls back onto his stomach and closes his eyes, enjoying the soft fabric beneath his skin.

He feels a hand run up his spine as Chansung lies down and kisses the back of his neck. The soft touch melts Junho and he relaxes completely. He’s like a rag doll when Chansung rolls Junho on his side, spooning him and placing sloppy kisses on his neck.

"You're so irresponsible." Chansung whispers, pressing closer.

"How so?" Junho mewls with his eyes closed as Chansung's voice isn't really reprimanding him; he's just stating the fact and acting concerned.

"It was dangerous telling them we're immune." His hand slides down Junho's chest.

"It was that or being left in the cold night full of dangers. You know that..." Chansung feels so warm and Junho's quickly turning into a mush, enjoying every bit of it in this dizzy haze.

“Still...” Chansung whines, so Junho shifts onto his back to face the worried man. His kind eyes soothe Junho and he touches Chansung’s face, rubbing the skin of his cheek with a thumb.

“I kept my promise to get everyone here. I couldn’t be happier.”

“This guilt will eat you up, Junho. You have to stop that. We’re past the explosion phase.” Junho knits his eyebrows, because Chansung knows him so well it’s almost suffocating. Junho thought he had all these intrusive thoughts to himself, but Chansung always sees deeper within him, he sees his objectives and anxiety like it were a stone in the middle of an empty room. His empathy is no joke.

“As long as you love me I’ll be fine.” He confesses without his ears getting red or anything. That’s how he truly feels and Chansung accepts it with a slow kiss on Junho’s lips.

Junho’s guilt drifts away.

 

[](http://s66.photobucket.com/user/ielektrinta/media/mj.jpg.html)


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks @egle0702 for editing!  
> Let the drama begin :D

The constant humming of an airplane becomes a serious issue, his head pounding harder, feeling like a tight balloon. This vacation wasn't supposed to end like this; Wooyoung sneezes in his seat, wiping his runny nose, his muscles feeling extremely sore, too. The flight attendant looks at him concerned, while the other one speaks through the intercom:

"If there is a doctor on-board, please come to the business class." Wooyoung listens to the calm voice, sitting lifelessly and cursing his health, because it wasn’t that bad before he left the hotel. It was one hour into the flight when sickness struck him with full force; he had thought he could endure the three-hour flight and get back home on his own, but, apparently, flights make your condition worse faster than the usual.

Soon enough, he notices a man talking to the flight attendant. Wooyoung can't see his face though, because the sunlight coming from the airplane window casts a shadow on his profile. Shit, this pounding in his head is the worst.

"...so if you could check on him the captain would like to know if he could endure two more hours or we should land in the nearest airport." He hears the flight attendant explaining. Wooyoung frowns: actually, being the reason for the other people’s not getting home on time would be even worse. He'd like to protest the idea, but he's not in the position to make decisions. He closes his eyes and sighs. What a crappy situation.

"Hey, what's your name?" Wooyoung opens his eyes and finally sees, as he concludes in his hazy mind, the doctor sitting beside him. Wooyoung gulps because it might be just the illness, but the guy looks like he’s glowing. No, it's more than that. This sudden infatuation floors Wooyoung and he can't answer, because, damn, it must be the worst way to meet the guy of your dreams. Wooyoung feels like his soul’s left his body. The man frowns a little, making Wooyoung realise his condition doesn't please him, so he gathers his strength and answers:

"I'm Wooyoung. What's your name?" He sounds hoarse; a burning sensation in his throat makes him cough. It’s like someone’s poured hot lava in it. There are tears in his eyes, but he keeps on staring at the doctor, noticing more and more dissatisfaction on the latter's face.

"I'm Minjun. You don't look so good."

"That's too bad because you look smashing." Wooyoung forgets to keep that in his mind and only the laugh of the flight attendant brings him to a belated realisation he has actually said that. "I'm sorry, I..." He sees Minjun trying to contain his laugh, and that makes him feel even worse because, shit, how embarrassing can you get in front of your newly found crush? Wooyoung sinks deeper into the chair trying to disappear, but Minjun’s analysing stare pins his eyes to his.

"Let's see." Minjun says finally and touches Wooyoung's sweaty forehead with the back of his hand. "Fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headache, fatigue. Is there anything I'm missing?" Wooyoung shakes his head. "You have flu." He concludes and touches Wooyoung's chin. "Open your mouth." Wooyoung does so and Minjun takes a look at his throat. "When did you start feeling the symptoms?" He lets go of Wooyoung's chin.

"I started feeling funny yesterday; I thought it was just a cold..." He coughs into the tissue and looks at the doctor's elegant hands. There is no wedding ring. That's a relief. But he could be straight, just very polite not to hit the patient in the face. Hitting on someone when you're ill is dangerous: your mind isn't in the right place and you talk like you're drunk. Way too honest. Wooyoung knows his honesty sometimes is too much and he doesn't want to ruin his chances with this guy.

"I think he can endure two more hours, no need to look for the nearest airport." His sonorous voice drags Wooyoung out of his daze, and he stares unceremoniously at Minjun who’s talking to the attendant. The top of his white shirt is unbuttoned, he has dark pants on. He must have been on a business trip or something. "I'd suggest getting an ambulance though, because he seems pretty out of it and he needs some medical attention. Do you have any medication on-board?"

"Ah, yes, we do." She chirps, relieved the diversion won’t be necessary.

"Good, show me what you've got and I'll stay by his side till we land." Even though his gentle smile is directed to the attendant, it melts Wooyoung and it's obvious he's in deep shit. This damned flu must be making him feel like this, like he's incapable of rational thinking, because who gets the hots for someone so quickly? 

Not Wooyoung, for sure. He's used to wrapping all the guys around his finger and now he's at the different end this time. The thing is, Minjun did nothing of the sort, but Wooyoung feels like if Minjun told him to dance naked in the middle of the plane he'd do it and wouldn't even blink. He must be losing his mind. This is worse than getting drunk.

"Ah..." Wooyoung groans, feeling very dizzy and the turbulence doesn't help with that. He also feels cold and hugs himself tighter.

"Cold?" Wooyoung opens his eyes and nods at Minjun, seeing him take a box from the attendant. "Can you get him a blanket?" He asks her.

"Sure." She hurries off and brings back a blanket, covering Wooyoung with it. "There's a water bottle for the pills in the box. Do you need anything else?"

"No, thank you."

"Okay, if there's anything you need, let me know." She leaves them alone and Wooyoung sighs, staring at Minjun rummaging through the box, searching for the right pills. He must get this phone number, at least.

"Am I going to die?" He asks nonchalantly and sees a smile on Minjun's profile as he seems to finally find what he needs.

"No one's going to die on my watch." Minjun says and opens the water bottle for Wooyoung. "Here, drink these pills." He hands two different pills to Wooyoung, and he puts them in his mouth, taking the water bottle from Minjun's hand and purposely brushing his fingers against his skin. The doctor doesn't seem to notice the deliberate action and it's a frustrating moment for Wooyoung, because he doesn't look like he's into Wooyoung at all. He has had some experiences with straight men and he’s managed to get them in his bed, but this one looks so indifferent, Wooyoung's starting to feel anxious. It also makes him more interested in the guy.

"No wedding ring, huh." Wooyoung states not so discretely, trying his luck to retrieve some personal information. Minjun turns in his seat to him, with his eyebrow raised. "Your girlfriend must be waiting for the proposal." Wooyoung talks nonsense on purpose and it works, because Minjun grins mischievously.

"I was going to ignore your nonsense from before, but when you're deliberately acting like this I know it's not the sickness talking anymore." He states and Wooyoung feels a chill run down his spine. That guy saw right through him and it rarely happens. This is actually exciting. "Do you always hit on guys like this?"

Wooyoung grins.

"No, usually they hit on me." He doesn't lie. He knows there's this magic magnet within him that attracts people to him, and he often abuses that knowledge to his advantage.

"So, should I be honoured, because you're hitting on me?"

His smile disappears and that sets the panic within Wooyoung. Did he fuck up? This guy is too smart. Not like the usual prey. He isn't even the prey, because Wooyoung lost to him the moment he set his eyes on Minjun. "You know nothing about me, don't assume things. Maybe I have a wife, but I forgot to put my ring on?" He leans forward and Wooyoung gulps. "I won't be another adventure for you." He pulls away and leans back into his chair. "However, I have to admit: you're also smashing." Minjun chuckles, making Wooyoung's stomach twist. This man...

"Hey, I might be full of shit, but you cannot assume things about me as well. You have to know me."

"Why would I want that? You look like trouble." Minjun glances at him and Wooyoung has to think hard before answering this one. What would be the right answer? This feels like a goddamn middle age conquest to get the princess. He decides to be honest, because, fuck it. And this guy doesn't buy his bullshit anyway.

"I'm a fun trouble. Just need some troubleshooting. I feel like you're good at that." Minjun snorts and looks away. Nothing. He says nothing. Disappointment crushes him.

Wooyoung finally feels the effect of the medicine and falls asleep. Or more like, totally blacks out.

When he wakes up, he's in the hospital. There's something sharp in his hand, feels like a hard piece of paper. He raises his hand and opens his palm, bringing the card closer to his unfocused eyes.  
It has Minjun's phone number and a few words:

_You're like a virus._

***

Wooyoung sits on the edge of his bed, rubbing his face in his palms and relives the first time he met Minjun. He should have known that from the beginning, Minjun was the trouble, not him. Their relationship was wild, in a sense that they were crazy about each other to the point they’d talk till the sunrise, have sex almost anywhere and anytime, they had no boundaries. 

Minjun also was crazy about his work: long shifts at the hospital, at the library, away from home, studying and researching stuff like a mad scientist. His being so passionate was impressive, but it looked unhealthy and only Wooyoung managed to stop or slow him down. It always felt like Minjun was living in two worlds: one of science and the other one was filled with Wooyoung.

Minjun would be very affectionate and pour his love sporadically, but he'd never voice it out. Wooyoung didn't take it to his heart, he had a feeling Minjun was the type of a guy who doesn't say  _'I love you'_ , but his actions spoke louder than words and Wooyoung appreciated that. Perhaps he shouldn't have ignored it because, ultimately, Minjun left him without a proper explanation.

A few days before he packed his things and was gone, he seemed distant and reluctant to show affection. Wooyoung didn't pry too much into it, because sometimes that would happen when Minjun would be hooked on some serious research. Just when he found the empty shelves and a laconic hand-written note, Wooyoung realised he should've pried more.

_I have to leave you. There are things I cannot do when I'm with you and I need them. I'm sorry._

Wooyoung was so broken he couldn't accept reality without Minjun. He moved out, so the old apartment wouldn't remind him of the moments they had shared in it. He changed jobs and got one at the Northern facility. He also had countless one-night stands, hoping to find someone like Minjun, but it was impossible. No one could replace him. The void in his heart was so deep it felt like a leaky bucket that couldn't be filled.

Wooyoung felt no remorse in disappointing other people who wanted to get into a relationship with him. He wanted them to hurt, because he was still hurting. Minjun was his soul mate: their sense of humour, personalities, sex, everything, was a perfect match. He thought Minjun felt the same.

Wooyoung became a workaholic, coming up with new ideas at work, thus, earning a good reputation among the co-workers. He was on his way to be promoted, but then the zombie virus struck. Even then, with all the hurt inside, Wooyoung was wondering if Minjun was still alive. 

It felt like he was dead ever since he’d left him, but the aftermath of the virus outbreak changed his perspective on things. Wooyoung was sure Minjun must have died, so he sort of came to terms with it. Somehow, it was easier this time. Knowing Minjun was not there was easier than knowing he's still alive and doing whatever makes him happy, which doesn't include having a relationship with Wooyoung.

With Junho's help, Wooyoung has started accepting himself. He was starting to gain back that sensibility and strength that he has lost. Until now.

Just when Wooyoung entered Solis and saw Minjun, alive and well, he realised how fresh his wounds still were. Even after almost two years. 

He couldn't believe it at first, but when Minjun looked straight into his eyes and voiced out his name, Wooyoung knew he wasn't dreaming. He drowned under a humongous wave of feelings, anger taking the first place.

Minjun was alive and doing just fine without him.

"Fuck." Wooyoung hisses, falling back and staring at the ceiling. Does Minjun have another lover in here? Does he even care that Wooyoung's here? He groans, unable to do anything else.

There's a tentative knock on the door and Wooyoung glances at the clock on the wall. It's 1.30AM: Chansung and Junho must be done with their procedures. Wooyoung opens the door, but it's neither Junho nor Chansung looking at him. Minjun clears his throat, Wooyoung's chest filling with heat quickly.

"Can I come in?" He asks rather timidly, fidgeting in his pockets.

"What do you want?" Wooyoung answers coldly, hoping it has some negative effect on his ex-lover.

"Please, we need to talk. I don't want to do that in the corridor where everyone can see us." Wooyoung’s eyes follow Minjun's to the top right corner and he sees a camera.

"Fine." He lets Minjun pass through him and the scent, that is so fresh and so Minjun, fills his nostrils making him feel nostalgic. He shuts the door and walks around the doctor, leaning back onto the small table, crossing his arms over his chest. Minjun seems to be looking for the right words, his expression quite lost, and Wooyoung waits.

"I'm glad to see you here," He begins and avoids Wooyoung's accusing gaze. "I... I just wanted to say I'm sorry..."

"Sorry?" Wooyoung scoffs. "Sorry for what exactly?"

"Wooyoung..." Minjun furrows his eyebrows, but he hasn't even seen a glimpse of Wooyoung's anger. "I'm sorry for breaking up with you like that..."

"And you think saying sorry will fix things?" Wooyoung unleashes his bitterness, it's impossible to contain now.

"No, but... I know I can't fix what I've done..."

"So what the fuck are you doing here? Your apologies are worthless." He holds onto the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white. "What kind of asshole breaks up without a proper explanation? What was so important that you left me like a useless test tube? What was it? Tell me!"

Minjun runs a hand through his hair, sighing exasperatedly. "Being with you... I realised being with you was stopping me from making my dream come true." Wooyoung clenches his teeth harder, withstanding Minjun's mellow gaze. "I've always wanted to do something big and important in my life, so when I heard about the Solis project, I knew I _had_ to get in. It was my chance to become a part of something big.

“However, for most of the time I had you on my mind. I couldn't concentrate. I wanted to be with you all the time." A sharp pang of affliction pierces Wooyoung's chest as Minjun's face brightens up briefly. "And yet, my ambition was stronger. I just had to be a part of Solis; I was obsessed with the idea. Almost the same as I was obsessed with you. So, I thought to myself, there's only one way to do this." He licks his lips and looks somewhere past Wooyoung's head. "The last week we were together I went to talk to the Solis team: they liked my resume, my ambition, they had me take some tests and later on they called me back, saying I fit all the criteria. The contract, however, forbid me to speak of anything related to Solis to anyone who wasn’t a part of the project. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep it from you because, you know, we share things, thoughts... But most of all, I wouldn't be able to do my part well, because I'd think about coming home to you. I also didn't want you to move across the country, to leave your job, family and friends. I thought it'd be best to leave you without explaining anything, so you'd create a new life without me... Selfish decision, I know... But I thought I was doing the right thing. I immersed myself into this job, I achieved some great results and I did everything to forget you. I thought I could, but... Even if I managed to push you from my head during the day, I couldn't do it at night. My dreams were filled with you. A bit more than a year has passed since I last saw you, so I came to terms that you're probably doing fine. Then, sometime later, the zombie virus came along. I tried contacting you, but to no avail. It was too late." He falls silent and stares at his own fingers, interlaced loosely. Wooyoungs burns internally.

"You have no clue what I went through... Hearing all this bullshit reasoning... You sacrificed what we had for an ambition. Like, fuck, you could've talked to me, told me that you have a super-secret job or whatever and we would have worked it out somehow, but no, you chose to act on your own!" Wooyoung slams the table as he stands up straight on his feet. He's so mad, knowing Minjun chose a fucking job over him. 

Wooyoung put all he had into this relationship, he had his eyes only for Minjun: he was the first man he wholeheartedly fell in love with, and this is what he’s got in return. A big fat slap in the face. 

"You cannot come here and tell me that you're sorry, because that won't change the fact that for the longest time I had to force myself to get up every morning and go to work, to shower, to eat… I was in the deepest slump, thinking what I've done wrong to deserve this. I'd fuck a different guy each weekend and I'd think he isn't like you, this isn't working out. This will never work out if it's not you. You were a part of me and you ripped that part away, selfishly. Fucking ambition...” Wooyoung touches his forehead, irritated. “Just admit you’ve never loved me to begin with. I was just another experiment in your life, an adventure. I was the only fool in this relationship and I fucking regret it for having been so blind!" He huffs, trying his best not to show his tears, because fuck if he will let Minjun see him cry. He has cried enough for this bastard. He dares to come here looking all defenceless and peaceful. How unfair.

"Wooyoung, I-" Minjun takes a step forward.

"Get out!" He pushes Minjun and the latter almost falls as he stumbles backwards, but the door saves him. "Get to your fucking work you love so much! Go and jerk off to fucking microscopes and viruses." His heart is slamming against his rib-cage, barely containing itself inside the tense body, and Minjun's shocked expression adds up to the overall complicated situation. 

Wooyoung's so conflicted, so angry and so... Broken. Again. It would have been easier if Minjun just told him he fell in love with someone else because now, some inanimate thing, like a job, had won over everything they had. Wooyoung just wasn't good enough for him. It was one-sided.

Minjun's eyes glisten with wetness as he turns towards the door and holds onto the handle with Wooyoung's eyes locked onto his lowered shoulders, waiting for the latter to leave. "You're wrong." Minjun says and turns his head so Wooyoung could see his face. "I loved you. And I still do. More than ever. And I will never forgive myself for hurting you like this." With that, he leaves. Wooyoung's completely dumbfounded and lost, and messed up in so many ways. 

Minjun loves him.

 

 

There's a smiling man before Junho when he opens the door, a tray of food separating them. Chansung's still in the shower, so the guy will have to excuse Junho's dishevelled hair. The smell of the food makes Junho's stomach rumble, the hunger becoming hard to ignore.

"Hi, I'm Jinwoon. I'm the head chef. Well, the only certified chef, to be exact." He shakes hands with Junho. That smile is contagious and Junho can't help, but smile back. 

"Is this how you deliver food every day?" Junho eyes the covered dishes.

"No, today's a special occasion." Jinwoon winks. "We have a canteen here. Junghwa wanted me to deliver you the food, so you could eat peacefully for the first time here, and she wants me to bring you to the meeting room in 30 minutes."

"I see. We will be ready by then."

"Cool. Here, take this." He gives two huge plates to Junho and leaves. Junho could get used to this hotel-like service.

They eat, get ready and go to the corridor to wait for the chef to lead them. Taecyeon and Nichkhun show up a few minutes later and then Junho stares at the last door to open, where he sees a very moody Wooyoung, looking like death with dark circles under his eyes. He must have had a rough night. Junho scoots closer to him and Wooyoung doesn't seem to notice that until Junho starts talking to him.

"Dude..." Wooyoung looks up at him, his red eyes lifeless. Junho hugs his shoulders with one arm and brings him further away from the group. "I won't even ask if you're okay. What happened?" Wooyoung's sighs heavily, reluctant to share.

"He came to talk last night." He says quietly. "It didn't go well." He looks away and Junho knows Wooyoung doesn't want to elaborate. He looks like he's about to shatter into pieces.

"If you ever want to talk..."

"I know," Wooyoung glances at Junho, a sad smile on his pale face. "You'll wipe my snot." Junho squeezes his shoulders harder, sending positive vibes.

"I might have said a few things about you to him..." He admits guiltily and Wooyoung's eyebrows rise. "Ah, I should have kept my mouth shut. I thought it'd have a different outcome..."

"Please, don't be a matchmaker." Wooyoung's tone isn't accusing. Talking with Minjun would have happened eventually. "You made him feel remorse, didn't you?"

"I guess so... I'm sorry." Junho lets go of Wooyoung's shoulders, feeling slightly ashamed, but the latter catches his hand and pulls him into a hug, surprising Junho.

"You're a good friend." He pats Junho on the back and Junho does the same. "Nosy bitch, though." Wooyoung pulls back.

"That's what friends do." Junho grins and Wooyoung answers with a smile. It feels better seeing some of his sadness disappear.

Jinwoon shows up soon and leads them to the meeting room on the second floor, where only two people are waiting for them, sitting by the end of a rectangular table. The lady in charge and Minjun. He doesn't look that great either with dark circles under his eyes, like Wooyoung, seemingly very tired and so much different from last night. Junho bites on his lip and reminds himself to be less "helpful." He knows it's not entirely his fault though, their conversation was inevitable. Sometimes Junho just cannot shut up. Chansung touches his back and whispers:

"What's bothering you?"

"Nothing, I'm just an idiot." They sit down. "Cannot wait to hear what they have to say." He looks at Junghwa and Minjun, talking about something discretely while everyone settles in their seats. "This is the moment of truth, huh?"

Chansung nods and reclines back as Junghwa seems to be ready to talk.

"Good morning, I hope you had some rest." She's wearing a long grey cotton dress today, her hair’s tied in a bun. "How's your arm?" She glances at Junho.

"It's okay, Minjun stitched it well." He returns a polite smile.

"Wonderful. Now, I suppose we can begin. I think we could start with your questions and along the way we will explain some things, right?" She glances at Minjun and he nods, with a slight frown on his face. It's like he doesn't want to talk today. He seems so distant. "Before we begin, I’d like to explain something: the reason why we didn't want to let you in. I'm sure it must be bothering you."

"It does." Chansung agrees.

"Well, when you have a closed community you give it your best to protect it." She interlaces her fingers on the table and leans forward. "We were in contact with six other research facilities during the outbreak period, including yours. We have been exchanging information regarding the virus and whatnot. Some of them decided to take in survivors and that's what resulted in their downfall. They got overrun, there were people not satisfied with the way things were being handled. Those were the outsiders. So, one by one, we lost communication. Someone would act on their own, someone would want to overthrow the so-called local government... They just couldn’t accept the rules." She sighs. "We understood the risks, so we decided to be closed no matter what."

"You also might have missed out on some skilled and useful survivors. If we didn't have immune people, you would have lost 4 skilled soldiers and a very talented engineer." Chansung glances at his men.

"That is true." She leans back. "I admit I wanted to take you in solely because of your uniforms. But I thought, perhaps you were imposters. Perhaps it's too dangerous even though you're one of us. You must have gone through a lot and there might been some psychological damage that could affect us. It was a difficult decision. And then, Junho spoke out. As a research facility, we couldn't ignore someone immune to the virus. We still have a long way to go..." She looks away, somewhat uncomfortable. Junho catches on her last words.

"What do you mean you still have a long way to go?" He stares at Junghwa and she clears her throat, looking at Minjun meaningfully.

"She means that we still haven't figured it out how people become immune or how to prevent them from getting infected. There is no antidote." He deadpans, creating a silence among everyone in the room.

Junho forgets how to talk. Disappointment hits him full force. They came such a long way, they lost so many people... All that just to hear there is no solution. 

He slumps in his chair and covers his face with his palm. What a waste of time. He thought this was it. He thought these people would have the answers, and they know nothing. With all this futuristic equipment and the brainiacs, the equation of the century hasn't been solved yet.

"That's why we hope you will help us figure it out, because we don't have immune research subjects. We’ve never had. We relied only on the information coming from the other laboratories, which don't exist anymore." Junghwa's soothing voice echoes through the room. "We would really appreciate your help."

"If you don't know how to deal with the virus, do you have any other information that, perhaps, would be interesting to hear? Like, who's the patient zero? How did the outbreak begin? Or do you have no knowledge of it as well? Being the most advanced research facility in the country, maybe the world, even." Junho spits out his disappointment and Chansung places his palm on Junho's knee trying to soothe him, because he knows Junho's like a match waiting for a spark.

"Actually, we do know how the outbreak began..." She says and Junho's slightly astonished because he didn't think they'd actually know that. At least this will be answered. "A year ago, our researchers were summoned on a mission in the North Pole. They found a fragment of a very ancient meteorite and brought it back to Solis. Minjun, could you continue?" Junghwa asks and Minjun nods.

"My superior wanted me to work with him on that case. We found out the fragment was so old we had trouble dating it. Because it was frozen it was pretty much in a decent shape." He fixes his glasses. "Later, we found out it contained an unknown virus. It was a huge discovery for us because we managed to trigger the virus and it was so aggressive and unpredictable. It became apparent that, should the virus get into the wrong hands, things could go wrong very quickly. It didn't have any effect on animals, but it was something else when it met the human DNA. We knew it was an extremely dangerous virus, so we halted the research. We informed the higher ups and the decision has been made for the virus to be destroyed because it was that lethal. So, we put all the research material into a container and gave it to a convoy that had to bring it to another location to utilise it. However, the information was leaked to the wrong people. The convoy was sabotaged. It was attacked by a group of terrorists who didn't know how to handle the virus or what the outcome might be should the container be breached... During the attack there was an explosion, people were injured, the virus got out..." Minjun places his hands on the table, picking at some documents. "Everything was lost. It was impossible to stop the virus with so many runners around."

Junho stares at his feet, remembering how fast everything went downhill. It took just a few days and the beginning was the hardest, because the freshly turned zombies were the strongest ones and there were loads of them. It's also surreal to think that some old stone, originally from space, could have destroyed the human nation. They're like dinosaurs on the brink of extinction. Then, a thought pops up in Junho's head.

"But wait, there should have been more people immune to the virus. It can't be just the two of us. You said you got some information from the other active labs." He leans forward, looking at Minjun.

"Yes, but like I've mentioned before, these labs were destroyed and we don't know what happened to these people. There weren't many immune survivors to begin with. Also, most of the people immune to the virus were killed during the beginning of the outbreak, simply because of the blood loss or severe injuries: the damage done by a runner is usually fatal and being immune doesn't mean you're immortal. Other people chose suicide, let's not forget freak accidents." He explains. "To have you two here is a sheer miracle, I'd say. Judging by my observations, the survivors that are still holding on, like the ones who attacked you, have lost their humanity. I don't think it's possible to reverse the situation even if we were to find the antidote of some sort. For all we know, Solis might be the only place where a sensible community lives."

"We know a group of survivors that would fit in here." Chansung speaks up and Junho remembers Yubin's group. That's right, he made her a promise to bring them to Solis if everything went well. "They helped us."

"I'm sorry, but we are strictly against taking in new people. I've already told you that." Junghwa's strict voice alerts Junho that Chansung shouldn't push this idea.

"But-"

"Chansung." Junho squeezes his arm and shakes his head. They have to play by their rules.

"Really?" Chansung says in disbelief, and Junho senses what must be going on inside his mind. Chansung wants to save Yubin and her people. Nevertheless, this must wait. Junho squeezes Chansung's arm harder and looks him right in the eye, asking inaudibly to follow along. Chansung leans back in his chair, dissatisfaction all over his face, but he doesn't object anymore.

"So, now that we are here, what's the plan?" Junho glances at Junghwa, praying this diverted her attention from Chansung's rebellious mood.

"The plan is to figure everything out. The reason you're immune and how to make other people immune, if it's possible." She replies, her voice softer this time. "I expect your cooperation, so Minjun can come up with answers as soon as possible."

"Of course." Junho nods and she smiles, seemingly content with his answer.

"Is there anything else you'd like to know?" She inquires, ready to wrap up.

"No." Chansung says calmly as he regains his posture.

"Alright. We can wrap up now. There's a library, a canteen, a gym and some other entertainment forms on this floor, so feel free to use those to your liking. Use this day to relax while Minjun works on your blood samples and comes up with some ideas for tomorrow."

She leaves along with Minjun, and Jinwoon pops up, ready to show them around. Honestly, he feels like a ray of sunshine in this place, especially after hearing this disappointing news. 

Junho has an omen that Chansung's creating rebellious strategies in his mind, because during the day he doesn't really speak much and seems to be completely lost in his thoughts. Even Taecyeon's attempts to cheer him up seem to be rather useless. 

Later, Junho heads for the library, following Chansung as he grabs some geography books to kill time, and Junho chooses medical literature. He feels like he should invest more of his time into learning useful things, like emergency surgery and whatnot. Medical knowledge is very valuable in this environment. Maybe he should ask Minjun to teach him a few things, too. 

Junho loses himself in the books and doesn't even notice when Chansung disappears from the library, and when he finally notices it, he realises it's already a little past 9PM. He grabs a few books and heads for their room, slightly sulky that Chansung didn't warn him about leaving.

He enters the room and finds Chansung sitting by the table, looking at a map. Junho frowns and drops his books right in front of Chansung's face, drawing all of his attention to himself.

"What are you doing?" Chansung asks, not too fond of Junho’s interrupting him.

"I'd like to ask you the same: what are _you_ doing? I hope you're not creating some rebellious plan." Chansung sighs annoyed: Junho must have hit the jackpot.

"And what, you're going to do as they please?" He retorts.

"Chansung, have some common sense, will you?" Junho senses this conversation might take a turn for the worse, and he doesn't want that, but if Chansung keeps talking nonsense...

"Are you suggesting I should leave these people and break my promise? They helped us!" Chansung stands up.

"I'm not suggesting that. I'm suggesting you stop creating your own plans when we have shit to do here."

"Like what? Supply our blood for the tests?" He scoffs.

"God, Chansung, are you an idiot?" Chansung's eyes flare. "You won't be able to bring them back! It took us a few weeks to get here. Luckily, we're still alive, but Yubin and her people are not immune, they have no training! There are cannibals around! Do you really think Junghwa will welcome you back with a bunch of strangers? They barely know us!"

"We can think of something, we can convince them or, if necessary, take them by force." He says it as if it were that simple. Junho stares at him in disbelief. Is he on drugs or something?

"Are you out of your mind? There's only five of us, not to mention Wooyoung's not a soldier."

"We can teach him."

"For fuck's sake, Chansung, are you mad?! What the fuck is wrong with you? It's like you're obsessed with the dumbest idea ever because you have nothing better to do!"

"Like you're so fucking smart, willing to do whatever they say! Don’t be their bitch."

"What is it, huh?" He pushes Chansung. "Are you mad because I'm not taking your side? Because I'm not your little bitch who agrees with every idea you have? Is that it?"

"Oh please. Don't give yourself so much credit!" Chansung snarls and Junho feels like punching this dumbass.

"Are you out of your mind? I don't know you anymore!"

"Maybe you never knew me to begin with." His words slam Junho hard. Harder than anything. That's enough.

"You know what? Fuck off. If you choose to be a fucking imbecile, then so be it, but don't drag me into this. No matter how much I love you, I won't let you talk to me like I know nothing. Sleep with your fucking map and childish ideas. I thought you were smarter than this."

Junho stomps over to the door and hears Chansung call his name, regret in his voice, but Junho doesn't look back and just slams the door, leaving with an aching heart. 

This fight was so unnecessary, but if Chansung acts like an idiot... Telling Junho he doesn't know him... His nails almost pierce the skin in his palms when he knocks on Wooyoung's door and he storms in past the puzzled friend.

"Can I sleep here tonight?" He looks at Wooyoung and the latter just blinks, digesting Junho's request.

"Do I have to wipe the snot for you?"

"Nah." Junho flops on Wooyoung's bed.

"Only tonight, though." Wooyoung joins him, his bed much smaller, so he sits rather close.

"What, are you afraid your ex will get the wrong idea?" Junho grins and earns a smack from Wooyoung. He must have gone to the gym, because it feels rather powerful.

"Fuck off." They lie beside each other, staring at whatever. "So, what's the problem?"

"He's obsessed with the idea of saving Yubin and her group." Junho explains briefly.

"That's stupid. It won't work."

"I know, right?" Junho exhales, rubbing his temples. "We have to be smarter than that."

"Also, it takes time to gain someone's trust..." Wooyoung says and gives a meaningful look to Junho. “We’re so screwed, aren’t we? The people we care about are complete idiots.”

“I guess so…” Junho exhales, already missing Chansung even though he’s still mad at him.

Tomorrow, he will figure it out.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you read this, I'd like to state that I'm not a doctor, so if you are and know your medicine related shit, please ignore all the bullshit I wrote lmao. This is a work of fiction anyway lol. Ok I'm done justifying myself.  
> Please don't forget to leave a comment, I really enjoy reading your thoughts!  
> As always, huge thanks to @egle0702 for editing.

Junho pats Wooyoung's shoulder, staring at the reflection in the mirror. He can see a satisfied grin on the latter's face, enjoying his fresh haircut.

"Nice. Makes me feel civilised." Wooyoung nods to himself as Junho puts down the scissors. Getting a haircut was the first request he got from Wooyoung when they woke up. That's the least Junho could do after barging in last night and occupying half of Wooyoung’s bed. 

Junho brushes the back of his hand against his forehead, feeling hotter than usual, the faint dizziness making him wonder if he has caught flu because his muscles are slightly sore, too. He wants to go back to Chansung and his room to fix things between them. It's very unsettling to be in this situation: he probably shouldn’t have left so abruptly yesterday, but Chansung with his stupid attitude was asking for it. He also hurt Junho implying he knows nothing about him. That was a low blow.

"Will you be okay?" Wooyoung stands in front of him, a look of concern on his face. It’s relieving to have someone like him, not beating around the bush, but still managing to do it in a very considerate way.

"Yeah. Anyway," He turns to the door. "I have to talk to Chansung. Hopefully, he’s changed his mind overnight."

"Good luck with that..." They exchange smiles and Junho leaves.

He glances at the camera on the ceiling, then back at the door and sighs. Junho shudders at the thought of confrontation because he couldn't really sleep that well, thinking about Chansung and his words. He wonders if Chansung's the same.

Junho opens the door and there's Chansung leaning against the table, arms crossed over his chest and his eyes... It's a mix of hurt and anger. As if the idiot has the right to be angry... He was the one who slapped Junho verbally; it makes him fume on the inside, slamming the door behind him.

"Where have you been all night?" Chansung speaks calmly, but the reprimanding tone in his voice betrays him.

"Oh, now he cares..." Junho scoffs and makes his way to the bathroom, but Chansung suddenly moves and catches his arm. His strong grip makes Junho stare right into his eyes, clearly not satisfied with the harsh action.

"Of course I care!" Chansung exclaims, offended by Junho’s scathing remark.

"Like you did yesterday?" Junho snaps and the deep crease between Chansung's eyebrows shows he remembers it and it seems like he feels sorry, but Junho's still mad. He's mad that Chansung had the guts to spew all that nonsense at him, as if they haven't gone through so much crap together, nullifying everything like it’s nothing. "Maybe I really should get a room of my own." Junho looks away and the thought alone is painful. He got so used to being around Chansung, having his hands touch him, seeing his smile, having long conversations about nothing but at the same time about everything…

"No." Chansung pushes him to the wall, one hand on his waist and another caressing his jaw. Something changes in his eyes: there’s that affection Junho knows so well and it’s hard to say _no_ when his lover’s like this. "Don't do this to me, please." Chansung whispers before kissing him hard and long, letting Junho feel the depth of how serious he is. Junho’s head spins.

He pushes Chansung away and slides down the wall, sitting on the floor, hugging his knees with one arm and supporting his forehead with another. Damn this dizziness. Chansung kneels in front of him, one hand touching Junho’s ankle gently, as if testing his hostility.

"I fucking hate fighting you." Junho says, finally looking at him, feeling weak both mentally and physically.

"I'm sorry..." Chansung scoots closer, placing his hands over Junho's hand on his knee. "I just... I really didn't mean what I said to you yesterday... I had a lot to think about over the night and the conclusion is... I'm a fucking dumbass. I hurt you, because..." He licks his lips. "I have no power here. We have to obey someone else. And... And I thought I had you on my side, but then you sort of sided with them when I started talking about saving Yubin and... I felt betrayed." Chansung chuckles nervously. "I'm always in action, doing things... Doing things with you. And now I can't do anything other than being a guinea pig. I guess my inflated ego got bruised? Do I make any sense at all?" Junho knits his eyebrows at how apologetic and honest Chansung looks. It's not easy to admit things like that, showing your weakness.

"You do." Junho moves his palm so he can intertwine his fingers with Chansung's, giving him the so much needed support.

"I wish I could take back the words I said yesterday. You know me the best. You really do." Chansung leans in and Junho opens his legs to let him get closer. "Just don’t leave me, please."

Junho touches Chansung's cheek, looking at his determined yet soft eyes and there's no way he cannot forgive him when he's so pleading and sincere. That's Junho's weakness. "We have to gain their trust. It will take time. Only then we can do something. Please tell me you understand that?" He whispers, Chansung's lips so close to his it's unbearable to stay still. Even with all the need to touch Chansung, Junho's dizziness and headache intensify so fast, he has a hard time listening to him.

"I do. I will not be reckless, I promise." Junho hears him talk, but his words fade away as the sudden ache in his muscles all over his body forces him to freeze. "Junho?" Chansung's face is blurry and the pain escapes Junho in a breathy gasp.

His world spins around and turns dark.

-

Chansung's scared. There's Junho curled up in a ball, moaning in pain; Chansung doesn't know what’s happening to him. All he knows is that this must be serious because when he tries to get Junho up on his feet, he slips into unconsciousness.

"Shit." He groans, scooping Junho into his arms, cold sweat on his forehead. He can feel how hot Junho is: he's hotter than usual. All mental alarms and trumpets go off in Chansung's head, terrified of the worst. No, it cannot be. Junho’s still immune, right?

With Junho in his arms, he manages to open the door and he meets Wooyoung in the hallway, just about to close the door to his room. He looks at the unconscious Junho in Chansung’s arms, then back at Chansung's alerted face.

"What the hell?" He asks, staring at Chansung suspiciously. Chansung can bet how fishy this must look, but Wooyoung should know there's no way in hell he would ever use violence against the man he loves. 

"He collapsed. I don't know what's happening." Chansung hears how shaky his voice is and gulps, trying to regain some control over his emotions.

"Well then move your ass to the doctor!" Wooyoung rushes Chansung and starts running in front of him, opening the doors, helping get to the elevator, basically, being his Northern star, leading him towards Minjun's laboratory.

Riding the elevator, hurrying down the corridors: everything takes way too much time in Chansung’s mind. When they finally reach the lab, Minjun's wide eyes greet them and he jumps up from his seat, realising it’s an emergency.

"Bring him here." He commands, rushing over to another room, where Chansung sees a life support system near the bed and his heart sinks. He lays Junho down and doesn't know what to do with himself, because everything's in Minjun's hands now.

The doctor attaches some wires and other things Chansung has no clue about to Junho's body and the medical devices start beeping, pulling Chansung's eyes to the heart monitor immediately. Wooyoung fidgets nervously beside him.

"What happened?" Minjun asks, checking on Junho’s vitals.

"We were talking and he probably got dizzy, he couldn't concentrate on my face and then he blacked out. It looked like he was in pain. Is he going to be okay? What's happening to him?" He stares at Minjun expectantly as the doctor looks down at Junho and sighs, forcing Chansung's worries to grow.

"I need to run a few tests first. However, it doesn't look like his condition is life threatening." Minjun looks past Chansung and Wooyoung, the sound of someone's footsteps behind them. "Fei, I'll need your help.”

“Right away, doc.” She says and runs to get some medical equipment. 

“Can you two please leave now?" Minjun gazes at them both, seemingly a bit uncomfortable.

"I'll stay." Chansung says determined, listening to the stable beeping.

"That's not necessary."

"But what if he..." He gulps." What if he turns?" Minjun raises his eyebrow at first, but then smiles gently.

"That's not the case, trust me."

"How do you know?" Wooyoung speaks up for Chansung and he feels not so alone.

"We will talk about that later. Or do you want to prolong his suffering?" Minjun doesn't give in and that only makes it more suspicious for Chansung. There's something Minjun isn't telling him, but it's not the time to pressure him. Junho's health is the top priority right now. He swallows questions.

"We'll be right behind the door." Chansung says and pushes Wooyoung lightly, so that Minjun and Fei can be left alone to run their tests.

"Fuck..." Chansung mumbles, sitting down on a chair. Wooyoung's right beside him, squeezing his shoulder.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. He's in good hands." Wooyoung sounds pretty convincing, having in mind he has personal issues with the man in charge of Junho's health.

"Your ex is shady."

"Tell me about it." Wooyoung snorts. "I hope you got things settled between you two, though. I saw you holding him and I thought that maybe, you know... You hit him or something..." Wooyoung seems slightly guilty for assuming things and Chansung runs his hand through his dishevelled hair.

"I'd never do that. I appreciate your concern though. I was being a douchebag when all he wanted was to help me. It's fine now, don't worry about it." Chansung leans back and sees Taecyeon with Nichkhun entering the room.

"What happened? We just saw you running towards the elevator..." Taecyeon asks worriedly.

"Junho collapsed. I don't know what's happening. We will have to wait." Chansung closes his eyes, feeling slightly dizzy himself. This is too stressful.

While he’s worried about Junho and his well-being, Chansung also cannot overlook the possibility of him experiencing the same thing and with nothing being clear, it’s rather scary. He hopes Minjun's right and this is not life threatening. 

It's always been Junho getting Chansung out of trouble, bringing him back to life. Now, the tables have turned. Chansung realises how hard it must've been on Junho, because just the thought of losing someone you love leaves a deep impact. Junho had to get Chansung out of the river and literally breathe life back into him. He was always there for him and Chansung had the audacity to tell him things he didn't mean to: he was being childish and stupid without any consideration. Now, more than ever, he feels like an utter piece of shit, for letting himself hurt the one who cares about him the most. And this is not the first time he feels like this. 

This guilt will eat him up if he doesn't do right by Junho. For starters, he will stop being an idiot.

-

Chansung's half asleep on the chair when someone touches his shoulder; he glances at the clock on the wall and realises it's been a few hours. There, before him, is the perpetually calm-looking Minjun with a tablet in his hands.

"How is he?" The sleep's gone immediately.

"Still unconscious." Minjun grabs a chair and sits in front of Chansung, who's surrounded by his friends. "He's stable, but we need to talk."

"Okay." Chansung's stomach reacts violently, not knowing what the talk is going to be about.

"When I took your blood samples the first night you came, Junho's was a little different from yours." Minjun places the tablet on his right thigh and leans forward, resting his forearms on his knees, fingers intertwined. "It was a little unsettling even knowing that he got bit much earlier than you. Clearly, he went through a lot more of various experiences compared to you while having the so-called immunity. However, the difference between yours and his blood samples got me thinking, and I realised there must have been something that triggered the..." Minjun licks his lips and sighs, staring at the floor briefly. Chansung has to remind himself he must breathe. "This will sound crazy."

"We've been through enough crazy. Just tell me." Chansung clenches his teeth in anticipation as Minjun's intense eyes analyse him. He’s like an x-ray machine with that stare of his.

"For the lack of a better word… You're mutating." Chansung blinks.

"Excuse me, they're doing what?" Nichkhun asks, hardly comprehending, like everyone else.

"It's hard to explain..." Minjun leans back, trying to find the right words to speak _human_.

"They're going to turn into giant moths or something?" Wooyoung cannot contain his curiosity mixed with disbelief, which makes Minjun snort, but he composes himself back quickly, seeing all these curious eyes.

"No, it's not like that. They're human and it won't change. Here's the thing you don't know about the virus. I learned that just a few hours ago." Minjun places his left leg on the right, his ankle pressed to the knee as he holds onto it with one hand and gesticulates with another. "It's not that you are immune. You're a host to the virus. Once it's within your system there are only two outcomes: you die or you become a host. After running a few tests on your blood I came to this conclusion: your cells are mutating in order to sustain the virus, to become a decent host for it. The virus is like a CEO and you’re the employee doing its bidding. However, there must be a trigger to make the mutation process faster. This is where I have to ask you if there's been something lately that Junho has consumed, something out of the ordinary?"

"What do you mean by something out of the ordinary?" Chansung frowns and Minjun exhales heavily, clearly struggling speaking to someone who’s not a medic.

"Did he consume raw human flesh, blood?" An image of Junho’s biting into a neck rises before Chansung's eyes. Is that the answer Minjun's been looking for?

"When we were attacked... Junho bit one of the guys' neck; there was blood all over his face and a tiny wound on his lip..."

"I see..."

"You see what?" Chansung gets impatient.

"I think the trigger is uncontaminated human blood. This mutation doesn't happen overnight. It takes time, and my guess is that the virus needs healthy blood to feed on to mutate faster, to make the host stronger."

"Hold on," Wooyoung interrupts. "You make them sound like vampires. They're not vampires, right?"

"Imaginative as always..." Minjun smiles into his palm, but Wooyoung seems to be annoyed by that. "Vampires are a work of fiction."

"Zombies once were too." Wooyoung tilts his head with a smug grin, and Chansung sighs at the two, making them notice his irritation. Minjun clears his throat.

"Anyhow, if my theory is correct, Junho needs to consume more blood to accelerate the mutation process. He must be close to the conclusion of the cycle."

"Wait," Chansung comes to a realization. "What are the aftereffects of the mutation?"

"I think you might have a clue." Chansung raises his eyebrow, waiting for elaboration. "You should get stronger physically. Junho's stronger than you, isn't he? And from what you've told me before, you haven't had a chance to consume any blood yet. So, you might not feel a significant change yet. The virus has to make sure you're a secure host. I’m only assuming though, because I had very little time to delve into your blood samples, but let's say you will be like an athlete on various kinds of steroids. Better resistance to other diseases might be a possibility, too. We will know more once the mutation is complete."

"I don't see how that's a bad thing..." Taecyeon shrugs, looking at Chansung encouragingly.

"It's just a theory, but generally speaking, I don't see it as a bad thing too. Unless there's something we don't know yet." Minjun scratches his chin. "It's not a bad thing only for you two, though. Everybody else just turns."

"Let's leave it at that, for now..." Nichkhun glances at Minjun, probably not too fond of the fact there might still be something they're not aware of. Chansung settles on that thought, hoping Minjun's right and Junho's suffering will be over soon.

"Is that why zombies will eat any kind of flesh? To gain strength?" Chansung inquires, because there seems to be a connection.

"I think their mutations went wrong, because they weren't fit to be hosts. So, we have millions of rabid hungry people with abnormal mutations. You know the newer the zombie and the more it feeds, the stronger it is. So, it makes sense, doesn't it?" Minjun stands up. "I have to find a few volunteers for blood transfusion. Apparently, you both are universal blood types now."

"Seriously?" Minjun nods. So, the virus changed their blood type, too. It's terrifying, really, knowing that you have such a destructive force within you, which tries to turn you into a super host of some sort if it likes your body or whatever. "Can I see him?" He looks for approval in Minjun's face as he seems to be slightly doubtful.

"Okay, but only you." Minjun makes his way towards the room Junho’s in. "We have to see how Junho deals with transfusion first. In the meantime, he needs peace. Fei and I still have to check on some things before we proceed with the transfusion."

"I'll see you later." Chansung glances back at his friends and they nod, understanding the situation.

They enter the room and Minjun shuts the door behind them, while Chansung makes himself comfortable in the chair by the bedside. Junho's face is sweaty and he looks calm. He notices part of the band aid peeled off on Junho's arm and decides to check on the wound: the band aid probably needs to be changed anyway, so he rips it off completely. 

"Huh?" He gets surprised by the view. Chansung looks at Minjun, who's immersed checking something on a computer. "Am I imaging things or does his wound look way too good for someone who was slashed two days ago?" Minjun's eyes widen at Chansung's question and he hurries towards him to take a good look at the wound.

"Wow. That's... Oddly impressive." He glances at Chansung. "I need to remove the stitches, because they're unnecessary, obviously."

"How's that possible? The injury was really bad and now it looks like it's been there for a week or so."

"I'm just guessing here, but it seems like the virus has really amazing regenerative properties. It tries to protect the host." Fei brings him the tools to remove the stitches. "Thanks."

"Just what is that virus capable of...?" Chansung mumbles, feeling kind of spooked, because nothing is certain. Hell knows what else that virus is capable of.

"Don't worry, we will figure it out. You're in a good place." Minjun smiles, almost done removing the stitches.

Chansung feels like a dumbass even more now, because just yesterday he suggested leaving, thinking being immune was the end of the story regarding the virus in his body. It's much more complex and he realises that even if he wanted to, he couldn't leave Solis without getting all the answers. Especially when his lover is unconscious and nothing's one hundred percent clear yet. Yubin will have to wait. Their virus related issues are more important.

He promised Junho he'd act smart.

-

A stable beeping reaches his ears, pulling him out of the state of unconsciousness, and Junho's eyes flutter open. It takes a few moments to stabilise his vision before he realises he's not in his and Chansung's room. Junho can smell the distinct smell of medication and he figures he must be in Minjun’s domain.

There's something hot and heavy on his hand, much hotter than his body. It's weird, because for the first time in weeks his body temperature feels... Normal.

He tilts his head to look at the source of warmth and sees Chansung in a chair by the bedside, his head resting near Junho's hip and Junho's hand pressed under his cheek. That's where the warmth is coming from, he smiles.

Junho moves his arm gently and pulls out his hand carefully, so not to wake up Chansung just yet. Despite being in the hospital bed for whatever reasons, Junho actually feels more alive than ever. He clenches his fist a few times, sensing the movement of hard muscles beneath his skin.

He looks at Chansung again and decides it's time to wake him up. Junho bites on his lower lip and pokes Chansung's cheek lightly. 

Nothing.

He pokes again, harder this time, and Chansung frowns in his sleep, but doesn’t wake up.

Junho takes it further with his petty provocations and pinches his cheek hard, Chansung's upper body shooting up in his seat immediately, startled by the action.

"God, it felt like crab claws!" He yelps, rubbing on the red mark, and Junho chuckles, happy with the response.

"No crab claws, just your regular Junho." He smirks and wonders why Chansung gets so serious quickly. "What?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I feel great, actually. Like I could go and do a million push-ups, punch a dozen of giants and have wild sex with you." Chansung snorts. "How long have I been out?"

"Two days."

"Seriously?" Chansung nods and this time it's Junho's turn to get all serious. "What happened to me?"

"Ah, that..." Chansung sighs. "Let me get Minjun to do some explaining." He exits the room and Junho glances at his arm, noticing a barely visible scar. What the... It's not supposed to heal up so fast. He can swear his body temperature is normal, as in, regular human normal. He's also itching to get out of this bed and do something active, overflowing with energy.

"The patient is finally up." Minjun's voice catches Junho's attention and the doctor sits on the bedside with Chansung standing behind him with his arms crossed. "You seem to be doing great."

"I am." Junho admits. "I really want to get out of this bed."

"I'm sure you do. Your mutation is complete." Minjun says it as if that's the most regular thing to say and Junho blinks, digesting the information.

"Did you just say mutation?"

"Yes. You see..." Junho's mouth's open, listening to everything Minjun says, explaining his situation: something about being a host, the virus protecting him, blood transfusion and the outcome of it all being a very strong and healthy person. "Do you get it?"

"So... When does professor Charles Xavier roll in on his wheels and takes me to the X Men school?"

"I'm afraid you'll have to deal with me." Minjun winks and stands up. "While you were unconscious I had a chance to test a few things about your immune system, which is unbelievable. I don't think it's possible for you to get sick, honestly. I'd like to do some physical activities to test your strength, agility, and similar things. I also would like to have you under my radar for a few days, just to make sure you are completely well."

"Okay." Junho agrees, quite puzzled, but satisfied with how things have turned out for him.

"Good, dress up and come to the physical training lab." Minjun turns on his heel and leaves as Chansung hands him a t-shirt and shorts.

"So, when's your blood transfusion happening?" Junho inquires, jumping out of the bed swiftly and slipping into shorts first.

"Right after Minjun makes sure you're completely fine." Chansung eyes Junho pulling down the blue t-shirt over his torso. "Your muscles look more well-defined."

"Zombie virus makes sure I’m not only strong, but sexy, too. What’s not to love about it?" Junho laughs, coming closer to Chansung, eager to touch him. "Have you been watching over me this entire time?" His voice is low, fingers tugging at Chansung's shirt.

"Saw you snoring and calling everyone a dick in your sleep." Chansung grins, leaning down and circling his arms around Junho's neck.

"As if I'd do that." Junho brushes his lips against Chansung's teasingly, inhaling his scent. "Thanks for staying with me." He whispers and presses his lips against Chansung's, savouring every inch of the hot flesh. Such a contrast between them now.

Chansung's hands run down Junho's torso, holding him closer and kissing harder, revealing how much he missed being like this, feeling the raw energy Junho has. Being surrounded by that heat is so relaxing, Junho completely loses himself and only when Chansung pulls back, he remembers what he is supposed to do.

"He's waiting." Chansung reminds him, a bright smile on his face.

"Right. I'd rather lock us in this room."

"Calm down, you don't want to make him suspicious with your accelerated heartbeat." Chansung pats Junho's chest.

"He already knows we're more than bffs, so..."

"Junho..." Chansung reprimands him semi-seriously, trying to contain his grin.

"Fine fine, I'm going."

It's quite fun to do the things Minjun asks him to, measuring his strength, stamina, agility and all the other physical aspects. Releasing his power onto the punching bag, doing exercises to test out the muscle thrust force on a weird machine, running, and things like that: Junho feels like he could do it for a very long time. This power is liberating: just imagining using his sword and this strength makes Junho slowly comprehend the lethal effect it might have on anyone who tries to confront him.

When it will be Chansung's turn to experience the full mutation, his close combat skills will also be quite a force to reckon with. Add some super healing powers to that and you have a perfect warrior, who might end this apocalypse.

Junho huffs after an exhausting running session on a treadmill and sees a satisfied grin on Minjun's face, signalling him that the results must be great. He then looks at Chansung and smiles back, already waiting for his turn to experience the change.

However, there is still one more thing missing in the equation and that is the reason the virus chose them to be the hosts. When the time comes to learn the secret behind it, that's when Junho's ready to leave Solis. Together with Chansung.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you miss me? I mean, this fanfic?lol  
> I love reading your comments, don't forget to write one!  
> Thanks @egle0702 for editing, ilu <3

Warmth hits him straight in the face, the difference in temperatures still as significant as the first time he entered the greenhouse. It doesn't really look like your typical greenhouse since everything's underground, but the area functions as one. It's a huge room full of greenery: edible plants and various herbs. It's like a supermarket for vegetarians, plants divided into sections, going up almost to the ceiling, and you have to pass through many isles to get to the one you need. To Wooyoung, this place is the closest to what it would feel like being outside. It's been a few weeks, 42 days, to be exact (Wooyoung diligently counts every single day), since they got here.

During the time, Chansung's group has come to a general consensus that it is important to blend in and gain the Solis people’s trust. Chansung also went through a full mutation process, because after a few trials Junho's condition proved to be completely fine and there was no need to delay Chansung's procedure anymore. That also went well.

Wooyoung's been feeling quite useless as his skills haven’t been put to use that much: he was only allowed to help out with minor technical issues. He hates sitting around and doing nothing: After a while the gym, board games, books, and other distracting activities become quite mundane. There's also a guy he's been avoiding rather successfully. Seeing Minjun isn't that painful anymore, there's just this weird feeling of awkwardness and Wooyoung would rather avoid it. Minjun probably senses it: he doesn't go out of his way to make contact and respects his initial order to get the fuck away from him. Minjun's giving him space. So fucking considerate, Wooyoung scoffs, entering the furthest isle and stopping in the middle of it. This should be okay.

He lies down on the floor, puts his hands on top of his stomach and closes his eyes, imagining he's outside with birds chirping and all that nature jazz. God, he misses it. His muscles relax when reality fuses with his hazy consciousness, almost like a meditation. The chirping becomes louder, visions of green trees and sun become more vivid and the smell coming from the greenhouse plants adds the so much needed feeling of freshness to it. It feels like midsummer, when he would go on a hike after spending the entire day working in a closed research facility space. It's good to slip away from the science world occasionally and clear your mind. Living in Solis isn't easy, despite having all the commodities. Being surrounded by white walls gets to you at times.

There's light pressure on his shoulder and it feels too real to be just his imagination.

"Wooyoung?" He hears a familiar voice and a shiver runs down his spine. He opens his eyes immediately.

There's Minjun's face above his, staring at him concerned. Wooyoung moves up quickly, like he has just been ambushed. Minjun frowns a little, still squatting, and gazes at Wooyoung standing a few meters away from him.

"You don't have to avoid me like I'm the plague in human form." He picks up a see-through box placed beside him and rises.

"Oh, but you are." Wooyoung snaps and a pang of guilt pricks him, because Minjun looks genuinely hurt and tries to hide it by fixing his glasses while looking away.

"I guess I am." He whispers and walks over to a wall of plants, dejected. Well, shit, Wooyoung didn't expect that. Usually, Minjun would retort (back when they were together), but this is different. This is not what they used to be a couple of years ago, and Wooyoung doesn't understand why it affects him so much. He should be over it. It's as weird as it gets, but Wooyoung wants to fix it. Mainly because he feels like a piece of shit, making someone become upset because of him, even if the said person sort of deserves it. Or did deserve it. He wouldn't have had that thought a few weeks ago when he saw Minjun, feeling hurt from the sudden rush of solemn memories, but there's something different about him, about them, now. Wooyoung feels stronger and acting childish, avoiding someone you had relationship with is a little bit silly, he decides.

"What are you doing here?" Wooyoung asks, walking closer to Minjun. The latter glances at him slightly puzzled, probably too used to Wooyoung’s disappearing as soon as he notices him.

"I have to get some medical herbs to work with." He looks away and plucks a few leaves carefully, holding the box in his other hand. "What were you doing here?"

"I just..." Wooyoung sighs nervously. This is weird. "It feels like outside, being here: the smell of the plants, the humidity... Do you need help?" He blurts out thoughtlessly and Minjun looks at him, surprised. Where is this going? Wooyoung has no clue, but seeing a faint, almost invisible smile playing on Minjun's lips does something to his insides.

"Sure. Hold the box." He passes it to Wooyoung and continues plucking the herbs. "It feels like a prison here, doesn't it?"

"It does." Wooyoung agrees, watching Minjun's profile. Just a few weeks ago he wanted to punch him.

"I had a feeling you'd be bored here. I heard you help out with some stuff, though?" Minjun says knowingly, almost as if he had something to do with it. Wooyoung squints at him, but he doesn't notice it.

"Not enough. I have better skills than what I'm given to do. My talent is being wasted here." He looks at Minjun's hand going for the box, his slim fingers placing the herbs down gently. He's being very slow for some reason.

"I bet." Minjun smiles and then frowns a little.

"What?" Wooyoung knows that look: there's something Minjun's hesitating to talk about.

"You know..." The doctor straightens his back staring at Wooyoung, considering something. "I will talk to Junghwa. There is a project you could work on..."

"What kind of project?" Wooyoung raises his eyebrows starting to feel excited, but Minjun looks very sketchy behind his glasses. 

"I cannot talk about it. Not yet." He goes back to the plucking. "But I will try to convince her that your help can be beneficial." Wooyoung feels warm and it has nothing to do with the temperature in the greenhouse, but there's a thought that bothers him.

"Why hasn't she asked for my help weeks ago? She knows we're basically useless here, eating your food and doing nothing."

"That..." Minjun plucks the herbs harder and Wooyoung knows there's something he's not telling. He must get it out. For the squad.

"Minjun." Wooyoung touches his arm, feeling the muscles tense under his touch immediately. Nevertheless, Wooyoung steps closer, only the box separating them. "Tell me, please."

He sees Minjun's Adam's apple move up and down as he gulps, looking quite baffled. "I really shouldn't..." He says, but Wooyoung takes it further, squeezing his arm lightly and inching even closer. His own heartbeat quickens.

"Please..." He says, almost whispering, and Minjun sighs, defeated.

"Your group's being watched. Junghwa wants to be sure you can be trusted." He says quietly and returns his gaze to Wooyoung. "Public areas and corridors have cameras on you, all the time. At least they did, in the beginning. Now, I'm not so sure. This greenhouse, private rooms, kitchen, some of the labs, including mine, do not have cameras. I'm telling you this because I trust you." His words are full of meaning beyond the word "trust" itself and Wooyoung can see it in Minjun's dark eyes. The information he has just shared made him vulnerable, just like the entire population of Solis, and Wooyoung can feel the importance of it. Minjun wouldn't have told him this if he hadn’t trusted him. "Listen, I know you hate me, but use this information wisely. There are a lot of people who put their lives in Junghwa's hands."

Wooyoung blinks.

_I know you hate me..._

That's what he thinks? Yet, he still disclosed this information?

Minjun takes the box away from Wooyoung's hands and takes a step back, about to leave.

"I don't hate you." Wooyoung says and hugs himself mentally, Minjun's gaze scanning him intensely. "Thanks for telling me." Minjun nods and walks away, the isle feeling very empty all of a sudden.  
Wooyoung squats pressing his palms against his face and sighs, dropping his arms over his bent knees. Too much pressure.

***

Loud cheers and laughing roar across the kitchen and Chansung throws his cards on the table. He sucks at card games. Always being the first one to lose just proves it, and he decides he's never going to attempt playing it again. Jinwoon, Nichkhun, and a few other people grin at him, seeing disappointment n his face.

"I told you I suck at it." Chansung's shoulders slump.

"Too bad, you'll have to help me in the kitchen tomorrow, too." Jinwoon gloats, chuckling.

"Hey, we have to find another way to decide who becomes your minion for a day." Chansung protests, because this is unfair. Sure, helping Jinwoon in the kitchen makes you busy, but sometimes it's just too much to prepare food for over 40 people. Chansung's group (except for Taecyeon, who misses a few fingers and isn't eligible for this chore) has to switch the duty with other five people from Solis, but lately he's been losing all the games to decide who gets the honour to play with the knife under Jinwoon's close inspection. The guy is extremely pedantic and specific about the dishes as well, which is annoying.

"Oh, what are you suggesting then?" Jinwoon hides his cards from Nichkhun's perky eyes.

"I'd rather do a running match or something physical."

"See, that's not fair for the rest of us. You're stronger with your mutation and all!"

"It's really fascinating to see how you're not afraid of me cutting my fingers and polluting the food with my blood." Chansung shrugs. He wears gloves; however, he's been quite lucky not to cut himself. It's sort of nice he's not being discriminated, though. Junho's better with knives, he should be working his ass off in the kitchen. Where is he anyway? He disappeared as soon as he won the first round.

"We have faith in you." Jinwoon winks. "We will talk about other options tomorrow. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah..." Chansung nods and leans forward, placing his elbows on the rectangular table, sitting closest to the edge of the bench. Being in this facility is not that entertaining, having in mind he and Junho have to release all that newly gained energy somewhere.

Being at the gym became a chore, but asking to go outside would be risky. When Wooyoung told the group they're being watched, it became clear they're not that trusted yet. However, there might be less attention projected on them now since they've done nothing wrong and blended in pretty well. It's still an ongoing process. Wooyoung also mentioned something about a project he might get involved with, and, if he does, it will be a significant change in their status here.

Chansung's pretty bored by the time two more people lose and now it's between Jinwoon, Nichkhun, and a girl who's always around Jinwoon. They must have a thing going on between them. Jia’s pretty nice.

There's a whiff of air when someone sits beside Chansung and he doesn't pay too much attention because from the corner of his eye he can see it's Junho. However, when a sneaky hand lands straight onto his crotch, Chansung looks at him hastily.

"What-" He whispers leaning forward, so the people across the table wouldn't notice it.

"I want you." He whispers, pressing his lips to Chansung's ear. "Right. Now." He squeezes Chansung harder and it's really impossible to not get excited. Chansung gulps, feeling another teasing stroke. "Follow me." Junho says and stands up, pulling Chansung along with an invisible chain.

"What, you're leaving already?" Jinwoon's head perks up. Chansung curses inwardly because he's growing hard thanks to Junho's existence.

"Yeah, I lost anyway." He explains nonchalantly and that's enough for the chef.

"Suit yourself. I'll see you tomorrow at 7 o'clock." Jinwoon grins, but Chansung doesn't care.

Once they're behind the corner, Junho takes Chansung's hand and pulls him around a huge stack of boxes, close to the exit.

"Wait-" Chansung protests quietly, but Junho has another idea as he presses his lips against Chansung's in a fervent kiss. What the hell has gotten into him? Public sex? Jinwoon and the rest are just a few meters away; this could go so wrong.

Junho pulls back a little and now Chansung can see the lust in his eyes, which ignites a fire within him, too. His fingers dig deeper into Chansung's butt and he grinds against the taller male’s crotch, letting Chansung know just how excited he is. Chansung presses his palms against the wall, towering over Junho, gazing at his wet lips.

"This is dangerous." He whispers and Junho grins deviously, clearly way too entertained by the idea of getting caught.

"It's exciting." Junho says and takes Chansung's hand, guiding it down his ass. Chansung's breathing deepens, when he feels how wet Junho's asshole is: he has prepared himself. "I played with myself a little." Junho explains, guiding Chansung's finger inside him and bites on his lower lip. This is too much for Chansung to take in. "I want you to finish what I started." Junho grabs Chansung by the collar and whispers on his lips. "I want you to fuck me. Right here. Right now."

That's it. Chansung turns Junho around and pulls his lover's pants lower, his erection hard as a rock and more than ready to fuck him.

"I hope you're ready for what you're asking." Chansung bites on Junho's earlobe from behind and doesn't give him the time to reply as he pushes inside unceremoniously, both of them gasping loudly.

"What was that?" Nichkhun's voice reaches them.

"What?"

"I thought I heard something."

"Listen, that's a nice way to divert my attention from the game, but it won't work."

"Whatever." Nichkhun says and Chansung reminds himself they're not in their room, but being inside Junho is melting his brain.

He starts thrusting, face buried in Junho's shoulder as the latter breathes into his sleeve, his left arm pressed against the wall and the other one stroking his hard cock in rhythm with Chansung's movements. 

Junho was right: this is exciting. Hearing voices nearby, the possibility of getting caught: it's taking them to the next level, and he realises this could become a routine for them if they do not get to go outside anytime soon. Chansung's aware of his own heavy breathing and Junho's muffled one, as he thrusts harder and faster, being very close to the end.

His foggy mind registers a voice behind the stack of boxes and they freeze, because it's Jihoon with someone else, watching the card game from afar.

"I hope you can handle this." He whispers into Junho's ear and pushes so hard, Junho barely contains himself, perfectly knowing there are people standing behind the boxes. He doesn't even stroke himself anymore, that's how high his senses are and Chansung grins to himself, proud of this reaction as Junho's fist against the wall turns white from tension. Junho comes, his body shaking, and the voices drift away, allowing Chansung to move faster, about to join Junho in the exciting bliss.

Junho's still tense and sensitive, his ass clenching strong around Chansung's cock and it takes a few more thrusts for him to come, watching a white stream of semen run down Junho's thigh. 

He turns Junho around and kisses him roughly, shoving his tongue and defeating Junho completely, feeling his hot body in his arms shuddering once again. Chansung leans back a little, looking at the spent face before him and grins.

"What's next? Sex in the elevator?"

"Only if you're cool with people in the control room watching us..." Junho gives him a quick peck, pulling his pants up.

"Maybe that would make them watch over us less."

"Or the opposite." Junho grins suggestively.

"Every time I think I know all your kinks, there's something else you pull out of your hat. Public sex?" Chansung cups Junho's jaw with one palm, hugging his waist with the other arm.

"We have to make our stay here bearable, don't we? Also," Junho leans in on his chest. "I want to enjoy the calm period while it lasts." Chansung frowns slightly and embraces Junho, holding him tight dearly. 

There's always a storm after the calm and Chansung isn't looking forward to it. He doesn't even know what the storm might be yet, but Junho's right. Everything always falls apart when you expect it the least. They've witnessed it too many times. It’s also weird how they got used to the idea of something running downhill.

Cautiously, they leave the kitchen and make their way to the -1 level. When they exit the elevator and notice the door to Taecyeon's room being opened, Junho's jaw drops a little. Chansung sees a half-naked Taecyeon, only in his pants, kissing a woman on his doorway. They weren't playing chess, obviously.

Taecyeon seems to notice the approaching duo and presents them with his wicked grin, the woman finally realising they're being watched, too. She smiles at them and Chansung recognises her: her name's Ha Jiwon and she used to work for the air force. He saw her and Taecyeon at the gym a few times, chatting while exercising. It seems like Taecyeon's been training one more muscle after chatting with her.

"Hi and bye." She says chuckling and leaves them in the corridor, completely unfazed by their long faces.

"Well, we're all adults here." Junho shrugs, ignoring Taecyeon's lewd grin.

"Come in," he says.

"...Really?" Junho hesitates with an overly disgusted expression on his face and Chansung pushes him in, chuckling.

"Don't worry, you won't catch heterosexuality." Taecyeon lets them pass and closes the door. "You said we need to work on gaining their trust, so that's what I'm doing." Taecyeon crosses his arms over his bare chest, while Chansung leans on Junho's shoulder.

"So, you're a sex spy now?" Junho inquires grinning.

"Not really. She's cool, but if it helps us look better in their eyes, I'm down with that. Sex with her is awesome, too. Years of experience..."

"Keep the details to yourself, Taec." Chansung takes a step closer to him. "Did you learn anything useful from her? Not in a sexual way, obviously."

"Not really. But, if you think about it... She's a pilot. If, by any chance, we manage to find an aircraft, we could use her skills."

"You forgot the part where she agrees to actually betray her people and help us." Junho notes, and Chansung nods in agreement. They cannot put their trust in someone who belongs to Solis. "Please tell me you're making her fall in love with you or something."

"You make me sound like a scheming bastard." Taecyeon looks a little disappointed and walks over to his bed and sits down. "We will see where this leads. She seems like the kind who enjoys being free. She's a pilot after all."

"Don't you fall for her though. Love's tough." Chansung earns a punch to the ribs from Junho. "That's what I'm talking about." He grins and Taecyeon imitates puking.

"Okay, get out of here. You lovebirds are way worse than us."

"Use protection." Junho yells out, exiting the room and Taecyeon pushes him out of his domain, the latter almost tripping.

Chansung walks in front of him and when Taecyeon's door closes, he grabs Junho and kisses him in the middle of the corridor, perfectly knowing the cameras are on them. He presses Junho's body closer to him and deepens the kiss, the latter clearly not expecting this public show of affection, but Junho gives in, circling his arms around his lover's neck. Then, Chansung drags him to the room and when he shuts the door, Junho stares at him slightly puzzled.

"What was that about?"

"I figured showing our affection in public would make it more believable we're feeling quite comfortable here." Junho raises his eyebrow, assessing his lover's logic.

"Damn, you're not only handsome, but smart as well." Chansung laughs at him and flops on their messy bed. Junho crawls on top of him.

"Minjun needs to get that brain of his to work more efficiently; I'm going crazy here and the secret behind the immunity is still unknown." He rubs Junho's back gently as the latter lies down on top of him, placing his ear to Chansung's heart.

"Same." He says quietly and Chansung closes his eyes, Junho's weight feeling rather comfortable.

Hopefully, it doesn’t take too long.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry for the long wait... But here's the new chapter, plz don't hate me lol ;~; And don't forget to leave a comment!  
> Huge kudos to @egle0702 for editing this mess.

He looks at himself in the mirror, marvelling at the changes in his body and he cannot stop the satisfied grin from spreading across his face. All that hard training with Chansung's squad has paid off in a form of beautifully sculpted muscles. Wooyoung pulls at his underwear and lets it go, the band slapping against his bare skin. It doesn't jiggle awkwardly; firm as a rock.

"Oh, vanity..." He snorts at the half-naked reflection in the mirror in his room.

It's not that he had been in a bad shape; he’s just never gone all out to achieve this. It's oddly satisfying, vain or not. Everyone loves seeing themselves in their best form. It definitely helps with your confidence. Of course, he's still no match to a skilled soldier, but at least he's not a weakling he’s been before he has met Chansung and co. With them it's a constant growth. Never in his life had he thought he would be forced to survive in such a hard way.

This entire post-apocalyptic experience has shaped him into someone stronger and more confident. Before that, he had his snide remarks and sass as a weapon of defence; however, his mentality is different now. His reflection purses his lips into a thin line: there's always room for improvement.

_Knock, knock, knock._

Wooyoung turns his head to the door and walks over to it, his heavy thoughts clearing up a little. He opens the door and suddenly becomes very self-conscious, understanding he's way too under-dressed to greet anyone, especially this man, whose curious eyes immediately scan his body. Minjun clears his throat, maintaining eye contact with Wooyoung.

"About that project I told you a few days ago... Junghwa wants to see you. I'll take you to her." Minjun eyes him up and down once again, this time deliberately and with a hint of an amused grin on his face. "Laundry day?"

"Wait here." Wooyoung blurts out and shuts the door. "Shit." He curses, realising his cheeks are burning. What a coincidence. It just had to be him. Wooyoung groans and dresses up quickly, glancing at the mirror to see if his face colour is back to normal. Almost.

"Were you sleeping? It's almost lunchtime." Minjun asks once Wooyoung joins him in the corridor.

"Uh, yeah." He lies because that sounds better than admitting you have been admiring your body like a narcissistic asshole while contemplating life AND you simply forgot to put your pants on before answering the door.

"You spend a lot of time in the gym." Minjun hints at what he saw just minutes ago and Wooyoung just gulps, really keen on changing the topic.

"Yeah. Anyway, what's the project about?" They enter the elevator and, to his surprise, Minjun presses 1. That's above the ground. Huh?

"You will see." Minjun smiles, assuring Wooyoung there's nothing to worry about.

"If I didn't know you any better, I'd think you're about to set me free."

"Are you implying I want you imprisoned in here?" Minjun shifts and his lab coat, which he rarely wears, brushes against Wooyoung's thigh.

"You tell me." He withholds Minjun's intense gaze, not too sure what's happening here.

"I want you. Here." He says, voice as smooth as silk, and Wooyoung doesn't know whether he heard that right and whether he is supposed to interpret it the way he did, but he feels hot. The elevator beeps and the door opens. "I mean, it's safe here." Minjun's expression is ambiguous as he turns away, a whiff of his cologne stimulating Wooyoung’s sense of smell. It feels familiar.

Wooyoung's stare is glued to his back, following him out of the elevator. He doesn't really care about Junghwa and her project at this moment.

Wooyoung's conflicting desires are pushed aside by the winter landscape he sees through the dome windows. Apparently, not every pallet is a sun battery. Minjun leads him to the door Jihoon's squad exited when they were force-showered. This room has a mirror wall, which separated Chansung's squad and Jihoon's squad back then. There's a closet and then Wooyoung notices another door, leading to a see-through corridor which is connected to a dark flat triangle building opposite from the dome.

Minjun leans down to scan his retina and the door opens, allowing them to enter the corridor. It's a bit chilly there; however, Wooyoung notices the snow in the yard is freshly shovelled. So, the people of Solis are allowed to go outside. It's only them, who are forbidden to do so. That's unfair; Wooyoung frowns blinded by the snow.

When they approach another door, leading to the dark pyramid-like building, Minjun leans down again to scan his retina. Higher security levels must be protected by the retina scan system, so it's probably impossible to get in there without being in their internal database, the technician concludes and enters the dark hallway where Minjun stops.

"I assume dead retinas can't be used to open the doors." Wooyoung says nonchalantly and Minjun gives him a judgemental look. "I'm not going to kill you or anything."

"That's a relief." Minjun plays along with a bitter answer.

"How are you?" He doesn't notice when Junghwa enters the hallway and is startled a little when she greets him. Like always, the aura around her is one of superiority. What a great leader she makes.

"Great. What's this all about?" He notices there's no one from Chansung's squad. "I'm the only one here?"

"Yes." She admits. "What I'm about to show you, might be a little shocking. Also, there's no need to bring your friends here, since this is a restricted area even for our employees. Only a few have access to the pyramid. Even though it's missing the top part to be a legitimate pyramid." Junghwa chuckles lightly. "Anyway, you can tell your friends about this. I'm not against that. It's just only you who will be able to enter this place."

"You will grant me access?" He raises his eyebrows, hardly believing he's going to be given this privilege.

"Yes. Minjun insisted on adding you to this project," She glances at the doctor and Wooyoung does the same. So, Minjun really did this for him. Junhgwa starts walking slowly and they follow her. "I figured your talents can't be wasted anymore and we really need someone smart and creative, because, you see..." The automatic door opens and they enter the main area, a huge room with two weird constructions, which almost look like... "We've got ourselves an alien aircraft we need to bring to life." She stares at Wooyoung's face, his mouth gaping wide open, feeling like he's in Star Trek or something. "I must imagine how this looks like."

"I..." Wooyoung closes his mouth out of self-awareness, still amazed.

On the left, there's a dark triangle-shaped aircraft, badly damaged. On the right, there's a replica: shiny and beautiful. Fucking UFO is real.

"The virus wasn't the only thing we found in the North Pole. We also found this spaceship. The virus was inside of it." She patiently waits for Wooyoung to react.

"I see." He finally manages to compose himself, the least he needs is to look like an astounded loser. "So, whoever was operating this aircraft brought the virus to the Earth and crash-landed?"

"That's what we think. We don't know if the virus was meant to be released upon the Earth. We, humans, were the ones who released it, after all." She sighs, walking closer to the damaged spaceship. "We made a replica, hoping to bring it to life, because this one's too damaged. There's so little left to make it fly, but we can't get it to work just yet. So, I'd like you to join our two engineers and come up with a solution. Do you think you can do that?"

"I will do my best." Wooyoung says, touching the cold surface of the aircraft.

"Good." She smiles, satisfied. "I will have your retina scanned now to load your data into our security database." Junghwa takes a small device out of her pocket, which looks like a regular smartphone. "Okay, stay still and don't blink." She holds the device close to his face while it does its job and then she nods, lowering it and typing something in. "All done. It's almost lunchtime, you can go to the canteen and I'll send the information regarding the aircraft to your computer. Analyse it today and be here at 9 AM tomorrow." Junghwa squeezes his shoulder. "I believe you'll do a great job." She smiles encouragingly and Wooyoung feels like he's back in school.

"Okay, see you tomorrow." He turns around with Minjun beside him and they make their way through the corridor back to the dome. Wooyoung notices a snowman outside and halts. "So, it's only us who aren't allowed outside." The feeling of being the chosen one vanishes as he realises they will never be equals here. Not for a long time, at least. Minjun sighs, looking at the technician's profile.

"I'm sure she will change her mind soon.  After all, she gave you the access to the pyramid. Come," He touches Wooyoung's arm briefly. "Don't think too much about it."

"Easier said than done." Wooyoung sulks all the way to the elevator, feeling Minjun's sympathetic gaze on him. 

However, he understands today is a breakthrough. After weeks of testing their reliability, one of them was finally deemed to be trustworthy enough. It's not only due to their good behaviour: Minjun had a big say in this. He definitely plays a big role in Solis, now Wooyoung's sure of that. He might not be the boss, but he knows which string to pull, how, and when. While doing so, he didn't ask of anything from Wooyoung. All he got was karma points, basically. Really juicy ones.

The elevator stops and the door opens.

"I'm going to the lab first. Have a good one." Minjun's halts abruptly, when Wooyoung impulsively grabs his hand. He looks at Wooyoung puzzled, startled even.

"Thank you." Wooyoung says and feels Minjun's grip on his hand getting tighter, yet still soft. His modest smile is sincere, sending heat waves down Wooyoung's stomach.

"I only did what's right. For once. I..." His thumb brushes gently against Wooyoung's skin, and whatever is going on in his mind, Minjun snaps out of it and glances at their hands. "I'll see you later." The doctor lets go and leaves Wooyoung alone, still respecting his old order to get the fuck away from him. However, Wooyoung wants the opposite.

-

Chansung stuffs his mouth with porridge, trying not to laugh at Junho's poor attempt to make a kitty face out of frozen berries in his bowl. Taecyeon tries to advise him, but it gets even worse, and Nichkhun stays out of it, clearly not up for this childish behaviour, scoffing at the duo, obviously incompetent of any crafts.

"Just eat it, man. What are you, five?" Nichkhun says and Junho glares at him.

"Better five than a grumpy old man." Junho retorts, Taecyeon snickering across from him. Before Nichkhun can reply, there's a heavy thud on the bench on Chansung's left.

"How's your breakfast?" Wooyoung adjusts his tray with food, aligning it perfectly with whatever imaginable alignment points there are on the table.

"Look who's here. Where were you all day yesterday?" Chansung asks, eating another spoonful of porridge. He didn't see Wooyoung yesterday; the lunchtime was almost over when they got there, because his squad got into a very heated game of Uno, resulting in Taecyeon almost crying at his bad luck.

"Not to brag, but I was granted access to the pyramid yesterday." Wooyoung's grin is smug, sending everyone into a state of shock.

"What?" All of them gasp in unison and Wooyoung hushes them, waving his hand.

"I have to admit it was thanks to Minjun. He was behind it all, telling Junghwa how awesome I am and how this project would benefit from my input."

"Okay... So what's the project about?" Chansung's stares suspiciously, hundreds of ideas racing through his mind. It must be one hell of a project to ask for an outsider’s help. With Minjun behind his back or not. In all honesty, Chansung just wants them to get back together if it would mean getting an ally, an insider in this place. Also, maybe Wooyoung would stop looking like a kicked puppy when he thinks no one notices it when Minjun walks by and doesn't stop. Chansung sees it all.

"Alien spaceship." He deadpans, leaving everyone with their mouths gaping.

"Bullshit." Nichkhun chimes in with his ever so positive vibe.

"There's a literal zombie apocalypse going on outside and you can't believe in aliens?" Wooyoung makes a valid point and Chansung snorts. "Anyway... Apparently, the virus was inside the ship, that's what they didn't tell us."

"And they're okay with you sharing this info with us now?" Junho asks, unconsciously destroying the kitty face with his spoon.

"She told me it's okay. What's there to be afraid of, really? The entire human race is almost gone, so the news about a legit alien spaceship won't be shocking amidst all the craziness happening all over the world.

"True." Chansung agrees. "What else?"

"They're almost done with assembling a replica, but they cannot get it to work, the mechanism behind it is a mystery."

"Just like the virus, huh?" Junho mumbles. "This entire apocalypse is a fucking puzzle."

"Mhm." Wooyoung nods, stuffing his mouth with food. "They also let their people walk outside. I saw a snowman."

"Talk about injustice. We want equal rights too." Taecyeon illustrates his words with his hands in an overtly dramatic fashion.

"Should we go on a hunger strike?" Chansung grins.

"Fuck the strike." Junho stabs his porridge with the spoon and his face turns serious. "With Wooyoung gaining access to the pyramid, perhaps it's safe to say we will be allowed to go outside, too? I mean, they must be considering our good behaviour."

"Hmm..." Chansung thinks deeply, analysing everything that's happened since they’ve got here. "I think Wooyoung's an exception, because he has valuable skills. With Jihoon's squad, our services are not necessary, really. The only thing Junho and I are useful here for is our immunity. Khun and Taec, no offence," He glances at them apologetically. "Aside from various mundane tasks and chores, they have no use of you." They shrug to that, acknowledging the reality without any hard feelings. "So, Wooyoung might be the only one building snowmen outside." Chansung smiles grimly, seeing how their future prospects of becoming full-fledged Solis members are rather tiny.

"If I get that thing flying, we can leave this place." Wooyoung bites into his sandwich casually. "Taec's fucking that pilot, isn't he?" Everyone stare at him dumbfounded, at a loss for words.

"Sometimes I have a feeling you're secretly a serial killer. They way you talk sometimes..." Wooyoung grins ambiguously at Junho's remark. "So detached from everything."

"Wooyoung has a point, though..." Chansung agrees. "It's a good escape plan, if it ever comes to that."

"But we don't need that; I mean Junghwa said we're free to leave. Just with no turning back." Taecyeon states the well-memorised fact as if it’s supposed to bring a feeling of safety.

"Do you really believe that?" Wooyoung asks coldly, setting doubt in everyone's minds. "For all we know, Junghwa might have other plans for us. What do you think happens when they find the antidote for the virus? They will need living test subjects to see if it's working. They won't use their own people. That leaves us."

"Isn't that a bit too far-fetched..." Nichkhun looks worried.

"Might be, but it's also a possibility, no?" Wooyoung shrugs as if this doesn't concern him. Chansung marvels at his seamless apathy.

"Sounds like a conspiracy theory to me..." Taecyeon shares his doubts.

"Conspiracy or not, we need to be ready for everything." Chansung summarises their conversation, with a prickling feeling in his chest. It's all psychology, letting your guests think they have an option, allowing them to feel free, but not really. That makes sense. Chansung wishes it were just a conspiracy theory.

"Well-" Junho's words are cut short when the lights go out briefly and when they're back, they seem to be dimmer than before.

_Attention. Solis power levels decreased by 65%._

An automatic woman's voice announces and they exchange puzzled glances. That's a huge drop for a place like this, Chansung thinks to himself.

"Wooyoung? Care to explain?" Chansung asks, but the latter just shrugs.

"No idea, but it seems like some power outage problems. We should ask Junghwa, I suppose." Chansung nods to that and all of them get up to see the boss.

It's not just the canteen: the lights are dim everywhere and people of Solis look equally surprised. They knock on her office door and it opens: Junghwa is there with Minjun and Jihoon, their faces quite gloomy.

"What's going on?" Chansung asks calmly and Junghwa sighs, leaning on the table where a map is situated. Doesn't look like blueprints of Solis.

"We lost one of our main power sources. We can't seem to restart it remotely." She frowns.

"Don't tell me it's outside the walls." Chansung's guess is right when Junghwa nods dejectedly.

"We have a few wind turbines about 2 kilometres from here." She rubs her face, clearly irritated and worried. "Jihoon, I really don't want to ask your men to go outside, but at this rate, we can't run the facility efficiently with power levels at 35%. We have research to do, people to take care of... And to think about our precious engineers going outside..."

"With all due respect..." An idea pops up in Chansung's mind, and he’s eager to propose it. "Jihoon, your squad doesn't have the necessary experience, unlike we do. Junho and I are immune, no threat to us whatsoever. Wooyoung is an engineer; he has some survival skills too. All three of us could go outside and do the job without any problems. What do you think about this?" Junghwa seems hesitant and while she thinks, Minjun protests the idea.

"Wait, you two are the only test subjects I have. No offence." He corrects himself quickly, not to look like an insensitive asshole. "And Wooyoung’s just got an important job, too!" This one seems more personal and Chansung smirks.

"Hey, I can handle myself." Wooyoung's pride flares up and Minjun's defeated immediately. If Wooyoung wants to go, there's no stopping him. However, Chansung notices the hurt look when Minjun looks away. These two...

"Anyway," Chansung continues, while Junghwa thinks hard. "I can't see why it's a bad idea. Junho and I would be like an invisible shield for Wooyoung."

"True, that's our best option, in this case." Junho agrees and Junghwa releases a very heavy sigh.

"Fine."

"But-" Jihoon's about to protest, but Junghwa cuts him off with a sharp swing of her arm.

"This is the smartest option. What do you need?" She looks at the trio.

"I need my sword." Junho looks excited, but he hides it well and only Chansung can tell it from his eyes. They're burning.

"I'll take anything with a silencer." Chansung asks.

"We have one riffle." Jihoon says. "And you?"

"A knife will do." Wooyoung shrugs. He has had some lessons with Junho on how to use a knife in a fight.

"Okay, go to the first floor, Jihoon will give you your weapons and outfits with earpieces. I hope your legs are strong, because there's a lot of snow to climb through." Junghwa warns them. "Minjun, bring a tool kit for Wooyoung."

-

After such a long time, being outside feels surreal. Junho inhales a good load of fresh air and the dome door behind the trio closes. Chansung really played this out flawlessly: if everything goes according to the plan, they might earn more trust points. Despite the cold, the Sergeant looks happy and Wooyoung’s also smiling brightly. Too bad Taecyeon and Nichkhun cannot experience this, but maybe this will change soon, too.

“Ready?” Junghwa’s voice comes through an earpiece.

“Yes.”

“If you see anything you can’t handle, go back immediately.”

“Got it.” Chansung confirms and they make their way towards the gate. “Here we go.” He says and the gate opens.

There’s a roamer nearby, but Junho takes care of it quickly, secretly wishing to meet more so he can lash out all that energy without holding back. He’s on Wooyoung’s left and Chansung’s on the technician’s right, securing him as it was agreed on before they left.

Junho’s pretty sure Wooyoung could handle the zombies on his own, because their training sessions have been quite hard and Wooyoung didn’t whine about it. His progress is obvious even just by looking at his posture. Junho smirks satisfied.

There’s a lot of snow in the fields and even the occasional roamers cannot move that well as the cold weather clearly has an impact on their movement. They’re no more dangerous than a tree that is about to fall down.

The closer they get to the wind turbines, the more footprints Junho notices. Something huge and constantly moving like a wind turbine must be luring them here. Through the branches, Junho can see it, but the wings are not moving. It’d be really bad if it had broken down. It hasn’t been checked for quite a long time now: no wonder the remote troubleshooting doesn’t work anymore.

“That’s definitely a workout.” Wooyoung huffs climbing up a snowy hill.

“Still, you’d choose this over Solis gym, wouldn’t you?” Chansung chuckles.

“Anytime.” Wooyoung holds onto the backpack straps harder, smiling back at the Sergeant.

“We’re almost there.” Junho notes, seeing more footprints and a few roamers lurking around. “Get your weapons ready, we must weed those things out first.”

Little by little, they take care of the zombies, using Wooyoung as bait basically, because all of them go straight to him, ignoring the immune duo.

“This is easier than I thought it would be.” Wooyoung comes closer to a small cube, which is supposed to be the control room for the turbines. “Now, let’s hope the part where I have to fix this crap is just as easy.”

Junho takes the key out of his pocket and is about to unlock the door, when he notices it’s open already. He exchanges alarmed glances with Chansung and Wooyoung. Whoever opened the door, they might still be inside. Or maybe not, depending on whether they got what they were looking for. One thing is clear though: someone broke in here and it must’ve happened this morning.

Junho enters first, a sword in his hands, while Chansung watches their backs with an automatic rifle in his. The room is small; huge devices and computers Junho has no clue how to operate seem to be still working. No living or undead soul is in here except them.

“Clear.” Junho says, relieved.

“I’ll keep an eye outside.” Chansung walks out of the room.

Wooyoung starts looking at something, searching for answers, and Junho has an ominous feeling all of a sudden. Who would break in and then just leave like this? Was the person bit? But there were no runners outside. This doesn’t make sense.

“This is weird.” Wooyoung touches some sort of a lever.

“What?”

“Nothing’s malfunctioning, and the only thing I have to do is turn the switch back on. It’s like it was turned off on purpose.” They stare at each other as Wooyoung automatically turns the switch on and a few cogs spin inside Junho’s mind, sensing the worst.

“Chansung.” He says and runs outside, praying this is just his being paranoid and this is not a diversion. It’s like the gun shop all over again and the feeling makes him sick.

Junho halts right outside the door when he sees Chansung being held down by two men, five more surrounding them. Wooyoung almost bumps into his back, now the only sound interrupting this scene is the sound of wind turbines rotating above.

They should have known better. They should have checked their surroundings better. Junho wants to puke, seeing blood running down Chansung’s nose. He was ambushed so quietly, Junho didn’t hear anything at all. Now he’s standing a few meters away from him, trapped by strong arms and a gun pointed at his head. Fuck.

“If the mountain won't come to Muhammad then Muhammad must go to the mountain. Turn off your earpieces.” A man with a black beanie commands and they oblige. Junho stares at him pointing a gun at Chansung’s head. “Honestly, I don’t want to make this any worse, but we have some mouths to feed too, and your government-run facility has a lot of goodies. I’m sure of that.”

“How can you be so sure?” Junho asks, as calmly as possible, while trying his best to give strength to Chansung through his eyes.

“Oh, because before I was kicked out of Solis, I used to work as a janitor there.” He grins.

“Wait, what?” Junho wants to make sure he heard him right.

“I was kicked out when I didn’t want to do what Junghwa said.” Junho stares at his scruffy face, a few wrinkles around his dark eyes. “So, it took me a few months to find a decent camp, to become a leader...” He places Chansung’s rifle on his own shoulder. “I knew I had to be smart to make someone come out of the fortress that is Solis. What a better way than to cut off the main power source, huh?” Junho has to admit it: it’s a brilliant plan. However, another thought comes to his mind and now he realises why Junghwa is so strict about letting people in and out. She was afraid of this man and his retaliation. That’s what she was hiding from them all along. “We want half of your food and medical supplies. That’s a pretty reasonable deal, isn’t it?”

“I’m not the one making decisions.” Junho scoffs, thinking how he’s going to slice off the arm that’s pointing a gun at his lover’s head.

“Oh, I know, kid.” The man chuckles. “Just tell Junghwa if she wants this soldier back, if she wants her power source untouched, she needs to bring half of the stuff by 12 o’clock tomorrow. Tell her, Park Jinyoung gives her one night to decide. I’m a reasonable man.” Junho wants to punch his face as he walks around Chansung and motions his men to bring him to the car. “Oh, and to make sure she takes this seriously,” He points the gun at them. “Hmm, that one looks like he’s important.” And he shoots Wooyoung in the right thigh, the latter falling down immediately and screaming in pain. Junho’s heartbeat accelerates, seeing dark blood tainting the snow. He fucking shot him. This man’s not fucking around. What the hell is going to happen to Chansung if Junghwa decides to ignore this asshole, Park Jinyoung? 

_If you see anything you can’t handle, go back immediately._

Her voice echoes inside his heavy head. She knew. That bitch knew this might have been Jinyoung’s doing. That’s why she was so easy on letting them go. That’s why she shut Jihoon’s mouth. She knew. Outsiders over her own people: she has her priorities set pretty damn straight.

Junho grabs Wooyoung and pulls him up, watching Jinyoung’s gang retreat calmly.

“Stay with me, Wooyoung. We’re going to get through this and even if it’s the last thing I do, I will get Chansung back. No matter what. I will fucking kill everyone if I have to, but I’m getting him back. Mark my words.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you miss this fanfic? Enjoy this chapter and don't forget to leave a comment! ^_^  
> Huge thanks to @egle0702 for editing :)

He feels damp on his side, Wooyoung's blood seeping slowly through his clothes. Junho runs as fast as possible, perfectly knowing time is of the essence. He has wrapped a scarf around Wooyoung's thigh to put the pressure on the wound, but of course, it's not enough. He huffs heavily, following back the footsteps of the three people, but there are only two of them now. Jinyoung took Chansung hostage, a thing Junho would have never expected to happen with the human race almost wiped out. All he can do at this moment is hope the bastard doesn't do anything bad to Chansung. His throat tightens up.

"We will get him back..." Wooyoung's voice echoes from behind. Junho can hear he's strained, fighting the pain. Even in this situation, he has the time to encourage Junho.

"And you will be tied to a hospital bed. I know a person who will be glad to do that." He replies, pushing his thoughts about Chansung aside.

"Yeah..." Wooyoung's voice sounds weaker and Junho looks aside, seeing more blood. This isn't good.

"Hey, just don't fall asleep, okay?"

"Mm..." Wooyoung props his forehead against the back of Junho's head.

"Wooyoung?" Silence. "Fuck." Junho sees the Solis walls and his heart jumps in relief. They're close. "Hang in there, we’re almost home."

Junho speeds up, his thighs burning and soon enough he stands in front of the gate. This is his second time waiting for the gate to open and it has a similar yet different feeling at the same time: it still looks eerie, but Junho now knows what's behind it. 

He realizes he has forgotten to turn the earpiece back on and he can't do it now with Wooyoung on his back. However, the gate opens faster than expected and Junho bolts in, going straight for the dome door. He gets in somehow and sees Jihoon with a couple of his men rushing towards him from the elevator.

"What the hell happened?" Jihoon asks confused, escorting him to the elevator.

"Maybe you should ask Junghwa." Junho spits out annoyed. He knows Jihoon probably isn’t the one to blame, since he's not the one making decisions, but still, Junho has a hard time controlling his contempt with Wooyoung unconscious on his back and without Chansung by his side. "We need to get Wooyoung to Minjun first." Jihoon looks genuinely concerned and doesn't ask anything else as they exit the elevator and run for the medical department.

Junho turns around the corner and sees Minjun working behind the desk, Fei sits across from him. His eyes meet Minjun's, and the doctor jumps from his seat when he notices the unconscious Wooyoung on Junho's back.

"What the-" He exclaims, running towards them. Junho can see panic in his eyes and he feels sorry for him immediately.

"Shot in the right thigh. He's lost a lot of blood." Minjun momentarily switches from a worried man to a collected professional and leads them to a procedure room, ordering Fei to get blood bags.

"If you need help-" Junho offers, imagining how hard it must be for Minjun to see Wooyoung like this.

"It's okay. Please leave, I need to perform a surgery." Minjun glances at Junho, and the latter nods, leaving Wooyoung in Minjun and Fei's hands.

Junho closes the door and sighs, staring at his reflection in the window. He looks like a mess, bloody and sweaty. He senses someone move and remembers there's Jihoon, still waiting for an explanation.

"I'll meet Junghwa in 15 minutes. I need to change." He says and doesn't wait for Jihoon's response, quickly walking out of the room.

He stares at the shower wall and leans on it, forearm pressed to the cold surface, letting the water run down his spine. Junho feels so defeated and powerless. There was nothing he could do to get Chansung out of trouble. The feeling of sudden loneliness crushes him, and his eyes become wet, too.

-

He sits down with Taecyeon and Nichkhun beside him, withstanding Junghwa's heavy gaze. Of course, he’s told everything to Taecyeon and Nichkhun on their way here, but Junghwa and everyone else are still in the unknown. Minjun's not present, clearly still conducting a surgery. Meanwhile, Junghwa has only Jihoon with her, so there are only 5 people in the meeting room, exchanging uneasy glances. He can see Junghwa is sitting on the edge of her chair, eager to hear an explanation.

"Please, I want to hear what happened." She says finally.

"I think you know what happened. Or at least have a feeling about it." Junho states coldly and she frowns.

"What do you-"

"Don't pretend you didn't have a hunch we might run into an ambush orchestrated by Park Jinyoung. After all, you were so eager to let us go over your own men. Too bad I didn’t think much of it." Junho taps his fingers on the table, staring at her gloomy face as she breaks the eye contact and sighs, glancing at Jihoon.

"I-I didn't know... For sure. I mean, it's been so long and there was little to no chance he was still alive. But you would've outnumbered him anyway." She tries to reason.

"Except he has a gang now."

"What?"

"Apparently, he's a leader now: I don't know how many people are under him, but it must be a lot, because he's willing to start a war with you." Junho leans forward, seeing fear in Junghwa's eyes for the first time. "Yeah, you fucked up." She swallows nervously.

"How bad?"

"They took Chansung hostage, they shot Wooyoung as a warning. They want half of Solis's food and medical supplies by 12 o'clock tomorrow or they will kill Chansung and destroy your power source. Who knows what else is on their agenda." Junghwa looks like she was just punched in the face, but Junho couldn't care less. He has no sympathy for her as Chansung is being held captive because of her.

Meanwhile, she stays quiet. Hell knows what she's thinking about, but Junho can feel she doesn't want to obey Jinyoung's orders. She also has a lot of mouths to feed and take care of. Just then, a crazy idea pops up in Junho's head.

"There is another option." He says, immediately becoming the centre of attention. At this point, it looks like Junghwa will accept any offer and Junho's not going to miss this chance. Even if his suggestion might sound borderline crazy, Junho's ready to do everything to save Chansung.  
"I can use myself as a lethal weapon. I will go out alone, at night, and I will use my blood to turn them all, so they kill each other off. No man, no problem. Even if you obey his orders, there's no guarantee he won't come up with the same strategy again. But," He sees a ray of hope in Junghwa's eyes. "I have a few conditions."

"Talk." She says, hypnotized by Junho's insane idea.

"You will treat us just like everyone else in Solis; we will be able to go outside and come back whenever and wherever we want. And," Her stare becomes suspicious. "The people we talked about before, Yubin's squad. We will be allowed to bring them here."

"I can't have new people here." She says coldly, and Junho has had right about enough as he stands up and slams his fist into the table.

"Listen, lady. We did only good things for Solis; we never gave you a reason to distrust us. For God's sake, the man I love is abducted and Wooyoung's fighting for his life because of you! I could slash my hand and get everyone infected here right this moment to threaten you, but I'm not a lowlife like the man you thought you got rid off and sent us against.  
“I'm giving you the best offer, hell; I might be going on a suicide mission, because I know nothing about their camp. What's the worst that could happen if you let Yubin and her people in? A few different opinions? A small case of flu? You have a virologist here. Just because you have to prove your people you're a confident and reliable leader, that doesn't mean you have to deny a plea of help from people who could really use it and who could become a part of this community. They are proper people. You owe everyone a chance!" He yells, his nails digging into his fist a little too hard. 

Junghwa stands up and turns away from everyone, shaken by Junho's words. Taecyeon and Nichkhun stare at Junho, inaudibly asking if he's really up for this suicide mission, but Junho just nods, his mind already made up. Even if she declines his offer, Junho's leaving tonight. That's  _his_  only option to save Chansung.

She turns around, arms crossed on her chest as she seems to be fighting her inner demons. "I accept your offer. Just make sure everyone on his camp is dead."

-

It's quiet, only a regular sound of beeping rings in his ears and there's soft material beneath him. There's a dull pain in his thigh and Wooyoung opens his eyes slowly, remembering he was shot. He must be heavily drugged because it takes a few moments for the dizziness to go away. His gaze focuses on his lower half, covered with a blanket. He also has a generic white patient gown on. They really are prepared for everything in this place.

 _My leg better still be where it belongs_ , he thinks nervously and lifts up the blanket, to see if he has had more luck than Taecyeon's fingers. When he sees his bandaged thigh, he sighs and reclines his head back, happy to know he's alive and well. Relatively well, that is.

Wooyoung sits up, removes the blanket and hangs his uninjured leg over the edge of his bed, not really sure how to move his right leg without hurting it when a stern voice startles him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Minjun rushes to his bed, a notepad in his hand.

"Uh, trying to see if I can walk?" He gives Minjun a dumb smile, like a kid caught doing something he shouldn’t.

"Don't be stupid." Minjun doesn't look too happy. Wooyoung expected a different reaction. Certainly a joyful one.

"Hey, you could be happier about me being alive." 

"Happier?" Minjun places his hands beside Wooyoung's hips and leans in quite close, his voice low and dead serious. "Junho brings you in, barely alive. In case you’ve forgotten, I'm not a surgeon. I had to remember bits and pieces of what I read in a surgery book back in university, because that was the only way to save your life.  
“You sit here and try to turn everything into a joke. I am angry right now, and you know why? Because you have no idea how much your life is important to me. You could have died if anything had gone wrong today. I already thought I lost you once, I'm not ready to grieve for the second time."

Wooyoung has never seen Minjun so mad, not even once, even when they were still together. This feels so intense, coming from the depths of Minjun's heart, that his words hit hard and Wooyoung looks away, embarrassed. Minjun cares so much about him and he's not hiding it anymore, raw feelings pouring out wildly. 

Nevertheless, he still has an important question bothering him. He doesn't want his assumptions to be true, because God knows Wooyoung is tired of avoiding what’s quite obvious, and a lot depends on Minjun’s answer.

"Did you know about Jinyoung? That there was a possibility he might attack us?" He looks at Minjun and the latter pulls away, clearly hurt.

"Do you really think I would have let you go so easy if I had known about that sick fuck? Who do you think I am?!" Minjun scoffs and sits on the edge of Wooyoung's bed, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes briefly.

"Junghwa was dealing with him alone, I was working my ass off here, trying to find the antivirus. The only thing I knew about him was that he did something bad and was banished from Solis. It didn't even cross my mind he could be still alive, let alone be scheming against us." He explains, tired. "But thanks for having the worst image of me, I guess I still deserve it. I probably could save your life a thousand times and you still wouldn't forgive me." He chuckles and the sound jabs deep at Wooyoung's heart. That's not how it is. Not anymore.

"Anyway, if you need anything I'll be over at my table," Minjun stands up and glances at the wheelchair beside the bed. "You can use this for going to the bathroom. Other than that, you're not allowed to move from your bed."

"Okay. I need to use the bathroom. Can you help me up?" Minjun stares surprised for a moment.

"Sure." He comes closer.

"How should I do this?"

"Alright, move your left leg over the edge, I'll help you lift the injured one. Just hold onto my shoulders and shift your weight onto your left leg. Got it?" Wooyoung nods and feels Minjun's gentle touch below his knee, while his other hand lands on his patient's waist. Wooyoung holds onto Minjun's shoulders and nods, completely ready.

Minjun pulls his body and Wooyoung falls right into Minjun's embrace, forcing the latter hug his waist to keep them both steady. He feels his thigh burn and groans a little, but his body burns even more, pressed against Minjun's. Wooyoung exhales sharply, hugging Minjun's neck tighter. That's what he needed all along to relax.

"Wooyoung?" He hears confusion in the doctor's voice and Wooyoung smirks to himself. 

"Is something wrong?" Minjun's voice wavers, but he still sounds like any concerned doctor would.

That moment, a fleeting realization comes to Wooyoung: Minjun probably thinks Wooyoung is just in pain and not really trying to get closer to him. He must be afraid to be rejected, because that's what Wooyoung's been doing since he’s arrived at Solis. 

"Yeah." Wooyoung says, warmth spreading throughout his body. "You need to shut up and enjoy the moment." Wooyoung runs his fingers through Minjun's hair and the doctor finally understands what's going on.

It feels timid at first, as he nuzzles his nose against Wooyoung's bare neck, but when Woyoung puts his cheek to Minjun's shoulder, the doctor's arms slowly travel up his torso and he presses his face into Wooyoung's neck completely.

Wooyoung’s missed this so much. The way Minjun's fingers move across his body, the way he inhales his scent and gives him a soft kiss on his neck. It's like they've never been apart for more than a day. Wooyoung just got tired of running away from Minjun, especially when he put so much effort in respecting Wooyoung's feelings and never bothered him in any annoying way. There's no point in resisting him any longer, when all Wooyoung wants is to give in.

"You lied about the bathroom," Minjun concludes and Wooyoung pulls back a little to look at his face. Minjun's eyes are so gentle and inviting.

"I'm pretty sure you're not mad about it." He grins. A smile spreads across Minjun's face too as he shakes his head. "Minjun..." His heart picks up the speed, raising his hand to Minjun's face slowly, and he brushes the tips of his fingers against Minjun's cheek, his skin pleasantly warm beneath the touch. 

Wooyoung feels like he’s had a couple of drinks, when he carefully cups Minjun's jaw with one hand and moves his face closer to his. Wooyoung exhales and ever so lightly brushes his lips against Minjun's, closing his eyes to enjoy the sensation. However, Minjun's had enough of waiting and he kisses Wooyoung hard, his fingers digging deeper into Wooyoung’s sides, destroying any remaining distance between their bodies. 

Minjun's tongue is hot like lava; his lips take Wooyoung's thoughts off the dull pain in his right thigh, and only a rapid beeping of Wooyoung's heart monitor makes Minjun pull away, giving them a moment to breathe.

"You're giving the heart monitor a hard time." Minjun chuckles, still eyeing Wooyoung's lips and Wooyoung feels turned on even more by that hungry gaze.

"I hope the monitor's not the only thing getting harder." He grins and Minjun laughs, pressing his forehead to Wooyoung's shoulder.

"Ah, about that..." He pulls back slightly. "You should get back to bed. It's only been about 6 hours after the surgery."

"Are you serious?" Wooyoung pouts.

"Very much so. Come on." He helps Wooyoung to the bed and tucks him in, like a proper nurse.

"Minjun."  
He looks at Wooyoung and sits down beside him.

"Yeah?"

"I forgive you."  
Minjun smiles at him tenderly and takes his hand in his.

"Thank you."  
A wholesome warmth spreads across Wooyoung's chest, a feeling of relief freeing him from inner tension that dissipates like a soft breeze. Forgiveness is a powerful thing. So is love.

"By the way, how's Junho?" He suddenly remembers the hero of the day who brought him back to Solis. He must be going crazy, knowing Chansung is somewhere out there, kidnapped. Minjun looks troubled as he sighs.

"He's leaving in a few hours to save Chansung all by himself." Wooyoung's eyes widen.

"I knew he was crazy, but I didn't know he was that crazy." He frowns. "And Junghwa just said “yes” to that?"

"He actually came up with a proposal..." Minjun explains everything and despite the fact Wooyoung thinks Junho's plan is genuinely insane, he has to give him a round of applause for playing Junghwa right into his hands so well. Junho is extremely brave to even offer something like this, and Wooyoung cannot image himself doing that. Maybe only someone like Junho is able to pull this off. He has to.

Wooyoung squeezes Minjun's hand harder and suddenly feels grateful for everything he has.

-

Junho doesn't say good-bye to anyone because he intends to be back, and not alone. There was no snowfall, so he should be able to track Jinyoung's gang just fine. He also went through a map to mark a few spots that could be potential camps, so he has the area memorised pretty well. He has not only his sword, but a few firearms too. He feels ready, standing in front of the gate under the night sky, only the moonlight showing him the way. He knows Jinyoung might have people on the lookout near the windmill, so this darkness will be his friend tonight.

He feels an adrenaline rush once the gate opens and he steps out, looking at Wooyoung's blood traces on the snow. He tries not to think what kind of beating Chansung might be taking, he just needs to find him alive and kill everyone on the way.

Killing people isn't easy, but Junho's a soldier. This isn't the first time he has to kill someone on a mission. However, this is a personal mission, and he doesn't need motivation for it because he has plenty thanks to Jinyoung's choice of his abductee. What Jinyoung doesn't know is that Junho is able to wipe out everyone with just a drop of his blood. He may not even need to use a weapon. But Junho has to be smart about it, since he knows nothing about their camp. He must infiltrate it without getting caught and that's the hardest part.

If he fails, Solis will probably be destroyed and no cure against this virus will be found. There's so much at stake: not only Chansung's life, but what’s left of the human kind, too.

Tonight, a lot depends on Junho.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like always, don't forget to leave a comment. That's what keeps me going ^^  
> Thanks @egle0702 for editing!

If anyone could see him from afar, they would think he's a ghost. Junho jogs smoothly across the snow; his white military outfit making him virtually disappear in the winter scenery.

His senses are heightened: every rustle makes him stop and look around carefully. Mostly, it's just the wind or a distant roamer wailing in the night. It's spooky, Junho has to admit it, but being immune has its merits; like, the fear of being eaten alive doesn't exist anymore. What you have to be afraid of are the remaining living human beings: even though his regenerative powers are impressive, Junho’s still mortal. He has to weigh all options before making a move, and being a soldier with a proper baggage of experience allows him to calculate everything better. Especially when so much depends on him now. The pressure is on.

Junho has never had his feelings involved in a mission and he knows he has to be even more level-headed than the usual. He knows he cannot rush anything: he has to be patient, and that's how he will get Chansung out of that mess Junghwa has gotten them into.

He also has a bad feeling about this Park Jinyoung: all the while he's been cast out he's been working on bringing together a gang. He knows an approximate number of people residing in Solis and if he has finally dared to challenge Junghwa, it means he has more people. Which probably means he wouldn't leave Solis in peace even after the trade because people like him can never get enough. 

He didn't have to shoot Wooyoung because abducting Chansung was enough of a threat, but he did. That man probably has no remorse left because when he shot Wooyoung, his eyes looked cold and empty, satisfied even. Like it was a mundane task for him. Even as a soldier, Junho found it challenging killing people on his military missions, but you did what you had to do. He had never felt superior or tough, and Jinyoung looked like he was proud of himself. That man is dangerous, so he has to be dealt with before it's too late.

He finally approaches the wind turbines and scans the area with binoculars. Junho purses his lips tighter when he notices a car hidden behind the bushes.

"Knew it," he whispers under his nose.

Just when he puts the binoculars back into his pocket, he hears people talking, and the car suddenly takes off, seemingly in a hurry. Is there a horde coming or what? Junho scans the area again and makes sure he's the only living human being here.

He passes by a couple of roamers and checks the car tire tracks, looking at the direction they went to. It must be the war museum Jihoon showed him on the map earlier, that's probably their camp. He remembers photos of a huge beige manor with a high steel fence: the place is around 6 kilometres from here. Junho exhales and when he's about to run, he hears something akin to an explosion, coming from where the war museum should be.

"What the..." An unpleasant sensation travels through his stomach and he moves forward, eager to get to the museum because whatever that noise was it can't be good. There will be a lot of zombies going that way, so he has to hurry if he wants to avoid swimming through a horde.

He runs and notices groups of 3R on his way, scarce still, but soon it will grow. Junho has to thank the virus inside his body for giving him all the stamina because running in snow isn't easy. Vapour escapes his mouth as he rushes forward, and minutes later he notices a dim light in the sky. Something must be burning and that light is an open party invitation for all the zombies in the area. His heart starts beating faster, thinking if Chansung is still okay and if he’s really there. He has no idea what's happening in Jinyoung's camp and it’s scary.

Junho halts immediately when he sees two people, not runners, hurrying towards him, and he grabs a gun with a silencer. He recognizes one of them: he was the one holding Chansung's arm, and Junho's blood boils. He _is_ going to the right direction. 

Junho hides behind a tree and shoots the man, the bullet piercing right through his skull. His companion stops and looks around fervently, scared, but Junho doesn't waver and shoots him in his chest. The man falls on his back, wheezing heavily, while Junho walks over and kneels down, grabbing him at his collar.

"You better tell me what happened in your camp." He hisses.

"I-," The man coughs blood, terror on his face. "Zombies. Everywhere. P-please, help me." Junho frowns. Did Chansung use his blood to turn everyone? 

"Are you the only ones who got out?" Junho stares at him coldly, feeling the man's hand creeping up on his forearm, trying to hold on.

"I-I think so. We shut the gate. Lost my car keys... Please, you have to h-help me." He looks hopefully at Junho, not knowing what kind of a mission he's on and that his pleas are useless. Junho hears something move and sees a roamer, coming for the injured man, who's holding onto Junho's forearm, pleading to be saved. However, Junho shakes off his hand and stands up, letting the zombie finish the job.

"Should have thought better before picking a fight with us." He says and turns around, leaving the screaming man behind him with the roamer tearing his flesh apart.

Junho runs and runs, until he finally sees the steel fence, boarded up with metal and wooden plates. The watch towers are empty and only screaming, growling, and other disturbing noises reach him from behind the fence. He cannot see anything through the massive plates, but it's obvious the building is on fire, yellow tongues licking the sky frantically. Whatever he's about to enter, it feels like hell. No wonder those men ran for their dear lives: the sounds alone can make you piss yourself.

 _Please, be safe._ Junho grits his teeth and lunges towards the steel wall, ready to climb it. He doesn’t hesitate, because somewhere behind these walls he should find Chansung.

He climbs on top of the car the two men from before have probably left, and jumps high enough to grab onto the edge of a watch tower. He pulls his body up and groans, successfully landing onto the floor, taking a few moments to catch his breath. 

His ears perk up when he hears growling and banging bellow, so Junho squats to have a look at the view inside the yard: Half of the ancient manor is on fire, walls damaged by the explosion. Things are scattered all over the ground, fire sources here and there, small wooden sheds burning down quickly, and lots of rabid and insanely powerful zombies, tearing up everything on their way, looking for fresh meat.

Junho gulps, because anyone with a sane mind would turn around and just leave. Even being immune doesn't make him so sure these wild zombies wouldn't attack him. Junho breathes out and stands up, concluding all this could not have started without Chansung’s blood. Even the freshest runner doesn't look like these rabid creatures. 

They are rabids. Another “R” addition to the already awful classification.

As he scans this pit of hell, Junho can't see him anywhere. Junho cannot see Chansung, only the rabid ones, and the worst fear begins to consume him, thinking what if he is too late. 

_No, that can't be. Chansung is stronger than this._

Junho scans the building hastily, when he hears gun shots going off on the right wing of the building, which hasn’t been affected by the explosion. His muscles tense up.

"Chansung." He says quietly, hoping it's him.

Junho climbs down the ladder and his body goes numb, rabids staring at him hauntingly, making him feel like he's about to be devoured. It's been a while since he has felt like that. 

Junho takes a step forward holding onto his gun, and the rabids part, letting him go through. They smell him as he passes by, growling, but other than that nothing else happens, and Junho blends in among them as they focus on thrashing around. His tongue feels dry, as if he has just entered the ninth circle of hell. The virus inside him still does its job and protects the host, which is definitely a relief. He can't even begin to imagine what it's like to be attacked by one of these monsters. They're not 3R. This is pure evil, which Junho is also capable of spawning.

Junho’s courage grows and he runs towards the building, listening to the gun shots. There are a few rabids following him too, attracted by the noise, but Junho doesn't mind them anymore, though they are still very freaky.

He enters the manor, feeling the heat coming from the left side of the building that is burning down slowly. He turns right though, towards the source of the gun shot. Just how quick did everyone turn? There is no living human soul around, all he encounters are corpses of rabids lying on the wooden floor, and the others just run past him, completely deranged.

Junho finishes searching the first floor, so he assumes the action must be going on on the second floor. He runs up the stairs, barely standing the adrenaline rush in his veins. He halts in a hallway and he cannot take the monsters following him around anymore, so he unsheathes his sword and decapitates them swiftly, before going for the room at the end of the corridor: that's where the shooting is taking place.

Junho's hands are shaking a little, but he gathers his courage and runs, pushing the heavy door and entering a ballroom decorated with mirror walls.

He freezes in the doorway and stops breathing for a moment, when a bloody figure turns around and points a gun at him.

Time stops for Junho.

The remaining rabids rush past him, a breeze of death blowing his hair as they abandon the room. Junho feels lost.

Chansung is drenched in blood, still pointing a gun at Junho; it's like he's in a weird frenzy, operating on an autopilot. He cannot tell whether the blood belongs to Chansung or anyone else: He just looks so alien. 

While all the growling and havoc outside continues, Chansung's expression changes when his brain registers it's, in fact, Junho staring at him.

-

Junho's face is different: he's still human. Not a rabid one. There's no need to shoot him. That's  _his_  Junho.

Chansung's hands start trembling and he falls down on his knees, finally returning to his senses that overwhelm him immediately. He stares at the dark red liquid on his hands, jumpsuit, everywhere; when Junho falls on his knees too, cupping Chansung's face in his clean palms. 

"Chansung, are you hurt?" Junho asks obviously worried, trying to guess what had happened here. 

"Just a couple of scratches." His hands still tremble though, and Junho grabs them, getting himself dirty in the process. Chansung looks away; his eyes getting wet when fresh memories come back to him, making him feel like... 

"Chansung?" He looks back at Junho, who's torn by the unknown. Chansung doesn't know how to explain it: there's too much happening in his head. The thoughts are so heavy; they feel like a massive stone under his neck. 

"I'm a fucking monster, Junho. I don't know why I should be alive after what I did." His eyes focus on his hands in Junho’s palms, his grip getting tighter each second as Chansung's trying to find the right words. However, Junho waits, like he always does, and Chansung licks his own lips, tasting the blood. 

"They wanted to destroy Solis during the exchange. They had a lot more people than we do, and they would have ambushed Solis during the trade. I couldn't let that happen. I just couldn't." His eyes find Junho's, who's listening quietly, his eyebrows knitted. "So, I told them I'm immune and if they used my blood they could become immune too." Chansung closes his eyes, the memories unfolding before him. It’s crushing him. 

"They brought in a roamer to check if I was telling the truth and, of course, the roamer didn't do anything to me. That got them thinking that maybe I was telling the truth. But they didn't inject themselves with my blood; they brought in a little girl to see if I was bluffing, if I would show any signs of hesitation and confess, knowing they'd inject an innocent child right in front of my face. They chose a little girl to confront me." Chansung exhales, noticing his own reflection in the mirror, barely recognising himself. 

That's right, he is a monster. The outside image matches the inside. He gulps. "I had to choose, Junho. I had to choose between that child and Solis." He hangs his head in defeat. "I chose Solis." The Sergeant closes his eyes, tears burning his eyelids, and it’s so damn hard to come to terms with what he has done. 

"Chansung..." Junho's voice soothes him, but it's not enough at the moment. Never in his life has Chansung ever thought he'd have to sacrifice an innocent child, to pretend that what she was about to experience wouldn’t do anything bad to her. 

He has never thought he would kill a child like this. Even if he didn’t do it with his own two hands, part of him, his toxic blood, was used for it, and he did nothing to stop it. Everyone was waiting for Chansung to show doubt, but he didn't. There was too much at stake and he couldn't take the risk, even if it meant doing something as outrageous as letting an innocent girl die. Her eyes were round and curious, staring right into his soul, and in that moment, Chansung felt his humanity slip away. There was no going back. He kneeled on the floor, hands tied behind his back, and looked at her as she was injected with his blood. 

"I don't know, maybe... Maybe because we're done with our mutations, she turned immediately. It was an instant blood bath. Her eyes, Junho, they were wild, she went completely berserk. Just seconds ago she looked so harmless, she was trembling and... And I did this. To her. To everyone who didn't deserve it... They had children in here, Junho! I didn't know! I had my eyes covered when they brought me in. I thought it was just them, but I was so wrong. Only when I got out of the room and looked through the window I understood the extent of my decision." Chansung blinks slowly, feeling the pain pierce right through his chest. 

"I'm responsible for everyone's death: for that girl, for that pregnant woman, who tried to run away from her; for the old doctor, who screamed trying to hide another child from their imminent death and transition, fuck… even Jinyoung, who just wanted save his people. I've never killed a child before, Junho. I... I'm a fucking monster." His eyes go blurry with tears as they stream down his dirty face. Junho's white outfit changes colour when he hugs Chansung and presses his head so close to his chest, that he can hear Junho's heartbeat even with all the noise around them. 

"You're not a monster," Junho says after a while and pulls back, wiping Chansung's tears away. "And if you are, that makes two of us. I'm also responsible for all these people in the Northern lab. I pushed the button. So, you're not alone in this. You did what you had to do. It was either them, or us.” He shakes Chansung by his shoulders lightly. 

“What you did wasn't selfish, Chansung. Unlike me, you did it to save  _our_  people. Fuck, I came here ready to use my blood to turn everyone to save you and Solis. Had I known it would have such an impact on you, I would have come earlier because, fuck, I cannot have you blaming yourself for this. 

“You're such a strong man, Chansung. We have to make really hard decisions sometimes that will haunt us forever, but it's up to us to see that as a necessity, something we couldn't survive without. What you did today was exactly that. It was a necessity. We live in this world where sacrifices have to be made, no matter how much it hurts. This," Junho looks around, "Is surviving. We are survivors, Chansung. Not saints, not moral justice angels, but survivors. We do what we have to do. That makes us human. All mistakes and what not. 

“It might sound harsh, but now it's our reality. We cannot blame ourselves every time for doing something that helps us survive. That's why it's called survival, not living." Junho leans in closer, holding onto Chansung's face. "Now, get your shit together, soldier. We have to finish what you started: killing the rabids. The gate is still shut tight." Junho stands up and reaches out his hand for Chansung to grab on. He stares up from below, digesting Junho's words that went straight to his chaotic mind and motivated it just enough to carry on. 

That's right; he's not the only one who goes through inner battles fighting his morals. Junho's still healing after what he did and if he can do that, Chansung should be able to do it, too. It will take time, undoubtedly, but that’s all they have now: time. And right now, he has to clean up this mess before it gets outside these walls. There's no knowing what the impact of the rabids breaking free would be. Chansung has to hold onto that thought because he needs something to hold on to until he’s out of his personal hell. 

Junho nods his head with encouragement, so Chansung takes his hand and stands up tall, absorbing the inner strength radiating from the soldier in front of him. Junho has saved him in many ways. 

\- 

Dawn paints the sky in over-saturated red stripes as darkness slowly fades away. Junho lights up a match and throws it onto a mountain of corpses, the fire engulfing it immediately. Their work here is done: every single body they managed to find all over the camp is resting in this pile of death. 

Junho has never felt so tired before: the rabids are really wild, and dealing with dozens of them is even worse. Chansung exhales deeply beside him and Junho turns, meeting a pair of sharp eyes. Both of them are covered in blood, except Junho looks like an angel of death with his white clothes, while Chansung is wearing dark. Messed up yin and yang, basically. What a pair, Junho chuckles, and Chansung raises his eyebrow. 

"I don't know if we're going to be allowed back in Solis looking like this." Chansung gives him a soft yet painful smile, and Junho knows his mind is still occupied with what he had to go through. It won't be easy, burying these memories and healing mental wounds. Junho looks back at the burning corpses. He himself had to go through very dark days and nights, trying to forget what he did at the Northern lab. 

"I didn't expect to see you here." Chansung notes, also staring at the fire. 

"Yeah, well, we need to get out of here. I can already tell there are tons of 3R outside this fence." Junho listens to the symphony of growls, and Chansung nods. "Should we open the gate and let them in?" 

"Yes." 

They walk over to the gate and Junho hacks the lock, ready to let a sea of zombies pass through it. "Ready for the stampede?" 

"Let's do this." They both grab onto the gate and slide it open, zombies pouring in like a wave of tsunami. 

It takes some time for them to get in, but when Junho sees an opening, he grabs Chansung's hand and leads them outside, struggling against the current. Chansung is lagging behind him a little, but Junho himself is pretty tired as well, so when he sees a fallen tree trunk, he takes Chansung to it and they sit down. 

Junho grabs a napkin from his pocket, puts some snow on it and melts it with his warm hands. He raises them to his lover's dirty face and cleans it thoroughly, then goes for his hands, doing the same. There is something he hasn't told Chansung yet, and it's probably the right time, considering the worst is over. 

"I made a deal with Junghwa. If I kill everyone on this camp, she gives us the liberty of leaving Solis anytime we want to, just like her people. Also," Junho smiles, knowing this should make Chansung happy. He did it for him, after all. "I made her agree to take Yubin and her people in." Chansung looks stunned and then his features soften, a gentle smile spreading across his face, full of thankfulness. 

"You can tell her you did everything by yourself. I don’t want any credit. I don’t need people at Solis to know what I did. Only you." Chansung leans in, and Junho hugs him hastily, seeing how much he needs this right now. 

Their embrace is tight and no words are spoken as Chansung presses his face to Junho’s neck, taking all he can from his lover spiritually. Junho rubs Chansung’s back slowly; glad the latter can’t see his concerned face. 

Chansung will have nightmares: as days pass, he will think about it from time to time, but he will get past it. He has to. Junho will do anything to make these bad memories disappear because they still have so much more to do in this world. It has to be more than just surviving. 


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the long wait T_T Don't forget to leave a comment ;~;  
> Thanks to @egle0702 for editing

It’s pretty ironic when in a world where you're surrounded by walking corpses spring decides to come and it doesn't care about the timing. It's been a few weeks since the gruesome experience that has sent Chansung into a mental knockdown. Although almost all of the snow is gone, memories still feel rather fresh. 

He stands firmly at the top of the fence, staring at small colourful birds flying around the trees, a bit further past the Solis wall. Little bastards have no clue how good they have it. It's only humans who are in a massive pile of shit. Chansung, however, has it even worse as some of the nights are followed by the nightmares of what he has done. Everyone else thinks everything has gone according to Junho's plan and that's the only relief, honestly. He couldn't tell the truth, not even to Taecyeon or Khun, despite the fact they've spent so much time together in various missions. Junho keeps his secret as faithfully as he keeps Chansung's sanity intact.

When he can't wake up from a nightmare, Junho's there to do that for him. He's there to give him a supporting glance or touch during the day, making sure he's okay. It's quite appalling to be this weak, but if he were to try to pretend he's completely fine, Chansung would lose it. To have Junho beside him is a blessing, and he's the only person the Sergeant's willing to open up to completely. The healing process is slow, but at least it's moving forward. Chansung just can't imagine how Junho dealt with his guilt all by himself: he's kept his secret until the car crash happened and even then he was forced to confess. Junho is so strong Chansung wants to be up to that standard too and he knows, eventually, it will get better. He holds onto that thought and chants it inwardly.

Surrounded by serenity, Chansung absorbs the rays of midday sun on his face and his dark hair until his hearing picks up a couple of voices behind him. His meditation is cut short when he turns back to see Junho walking alongside Minjun and Wooyoung, who's almost not limping anymore. His rehabilitation is going pretty well due to the fact that Minjun is obsessing over his health, and rightfully so, because Wooyoung has a hard time sitting calmly: he even has gone back to trying to make the spaceship work. Junho notices Chansung's gaze and smiles at him, bringing a different kind of warmth to Chansung's cheeks.

"Hell no, I'm not wearing a scarf. It's almost spring." He hears Wooyoung exclaim, and a sour expression appears on Minjun's face.

"It's easy to catch a cold when the weather is changing." He tries to reason with Wooyoung.

"It's making my dick shrivel up inside my body when you act like a demanding mother."

Junho snorts at the comment, and his reaction is accompanied by a slap on Wooyoung's ass. Minjun delivered a hard one.

"Nice." Wooyoung grins and Minjun just shakes his head at him, because that's not the reaction he wanted. The doctor gives up and shifts his attention to Chansung, standing above them.

"How's the weather up there?" Minjun inquires as they're climbing up the stairs.

"No scarf needed." The Sergeant confirms, earning a stink eye from Minjun for conspiring with Wooyoung against him. "Taec and Khun didn't join you?"

"They're busy being Jinwoon's slaves in the kitchen." Wooyoung says, leaning against the railing.

"Laugh while you can: once you're completely healed, you'll be eligible for kitchen duties again." Junho bites at him innocently, settling on Chansung's left while Minjun takes his right, staying close to Wooyoung in case he trips and tumbles down or something. At least that's what Chansung thinks Minjun's thinking about, being the overprotective doctor he is. However, he doesn't judge the older male: it's only understandable when you're in love. 

"I know a doctor who'll extend my sick leave." Wooyoung winks at Minjun suggestively, but the latter seems unimpressed, clearly used to this slyness.

"You have nothing of value to offer me to extend it." The doctor states casually, not paying attention to Wooyoung's sinister gaze.

Chansung can feel the tension and that makes him chuckle. A few days ago Wooyoung (drunkenly, thanks to Jinwoon's hidden stash of a very weird homemade booze) blurted out something personal about how nothing serious had happened between them yet since Minjun's so keen on healing his patient first, deflecting all petty attempts to do anything more than kissing. Wooyoung must be at his wits’ end.

"Your sick leave will end sooner than you'd want to." The doctor grins mischievously, adding fuel to the fire.

"That's good news." Chansung plays along, allowing the light-hearted mood take over. "No one likes a freeloader." Wooyoung rolls his eyes.

"Hey, I could have died. Where's your compassion?"

"You've had enough of it. I actually died twice, so I take the gold here." Chansung finds it odd how easy it is to talk about a rather cruel experience. Life is weird.

"I'm taking the silver medal then." Junho states nonchalantly, and Chansung stares at him puzzled.

"Wait, you never told me that." Chansung feels like crap all of a sudden. Such an important detail from Junho's life and he's never talked about it. There's still so much he doesn't know about his lover and that’s somewhat disappointing. Junho's eyes soften as if sensing Chansung's inner chaos.

"I didn't think it was important. I fell from a tree house when I was a kid and hit my head pretty bad. Thankfully, my dad was a doctor and saved me." Chansung's heart beats faster, imagining little Junho being resuscitated. His heart sinks at the visual, but Junho tousles Chansung’s hair playfully, pulling him out of his dark thoughts.

"Wait..." Minjun says profoundly, and Chansung, like everyone else, is captivated by the doctor's intense dark gaze. "Of course, I didn't even think about it... The one variable that just never came across, because I was immersed in all types of viruses, diseases, and genetics in general. It's death. Clinical death. Your brain was restarted. That's what makes you different." Minjun stares at both of them, his words resonating in Chansung's mind, slowly adding up to the one and only conclusion.

"Are you saying we're immune because we have experienced clinical death?" Junho moves closer to Minjun, all of them still in awe. Could this be it? The answer to immunity?

"It's the only valid hypothesis I can come up with right now. If that's the key, it means people will have to die in order to live."

Chansung leans back on the railing and exhales, his brain overheating. You have to die in order to live, now that's something.

“Something must change on a molecular level in your body when you experience clinical death... And maybe your body is like... When you learn how to ride a bike, you won’t unlearn it. Maybe the same happens with clinical death and resuscitating...” Minjun trails off, deep in thought.

"Wow." Is all Chansung can say.

"I have to go to the lab." Minjun declares and disappears like a wind, as if he hasn't even been there.

"Do you imagine what that means?" Junho asks Chansung, a crease between his eyebrows becoming more prominent.

"A cure?"

"We will have no leverage if this theory turns out to be true. Junghwa will be able to kicks us out, not to mention her promise about letting Yubin's group in." Junho's fingers wrap around Chansung's elbow.

"Hold on, do you really think she would do that?" Now Wooyoung becomes a tiny bit agitated and Chansung feels a worry grow inside him, too.

"They will need a human being to experiment on. Minjun won't do that to Wooyoung, so that leaves Taecyeon and Nichkhun." Junho continues and Chansung doesn't like that thought at all.

"Wait, while I don't think Junghwa is a saint, would she really do that to us?" Wooyoung expresses his doubts, not jumping on the conspiracy theory train just yet.

"That's the problem: we don't know what she thinks. And she most definitely will favour her own people over a couple of outsiders. We have to do something." Junho bites on his lip, looking for his lover's approval, and Chansung cannot ignore his worries. Wooyoung should be able to do that.

"You have to ask Minjun to keep it a secret. At least till we get Yubin's group in." Chansung looks at Wooyoung, perfectly knowing how shitty his request is, but if Minjun's theory turns out to be true, hell knows what awaits them. They don't know how Junghwa's mind works and it's beyond unsettling, so they have to buy some time. "Please."

Wooyoung rubs his chin and looks away, clearly fighting some internal conflicts, but in the end, he nods and leaves the duo alone.

Birds start chirping louder and Chansung looks back at Junho. "We just can't have a break, can we?"

-

Wooyoung hurries towards the lab and notices Minjun sitting on a rolling chair and talking to Fei, while looking at something on the monitor. Shit, he has probably told her already.

He busts into the lab, both of them staring at him questioningly.

"I'm sorry, can I talk to him in private?" He glances at Fei expectantly and she nods, giving them privacy.

"What's wro-"

"Did you tell Fei?" Minjun frowns a little, not quite understanding why Wooyoung’s in such a hurry.

"Of course, she's my assistant. Why do you look so concerned?"

"I wanted to ask you not to tell Junghwa about this." Wooyoung states bluntly and Minjun doesn't seem to like the request as he leans back on the edge of the table.

"That doesn't make sense. What kind of ridiculous request is this?"

Wooyoung exhales, realising this might not go the way Chansung and Junho would like it to.

"You will have to test out this theory. The guinea pig will have to be a human being. Junghwa will not use one of her own people. I don't believe you'd throw me under the train, so that leaves Nichkhun and Taecyeon as lab rats. That's why I'm asking you to give us time." He can sense Minjun’s suspicion grow, and boy if it doesn’t make him feel like an idiot. Chansung should’ve come up with a better plan instead of rushing Wooyoung to talk Minjun out of revealing the theory.

"Time for what?"

"To think of something!" Wooyoung feels so damn stupid. Minjun's a man of rationality and reason, and Wooyoung knows how ridiculous his arguments might sound to him as he’s a part of Solis, but would he ignore his request?

"Wooyoung, come here." Minjun pats the chair next to him and Wooyoung sits down as the doctor leans towards him. "Do you trust me?"

"Fuck no." That's not what he really meant and Minjun chuckles at the abrupt answer, but moments later his expression turns dead serious.

"Do _you_ trust me?"

Wooyoung gulps before he can answer this simple question, which isn't so simple after all. He has forgiven Minjun, but trust is a different thing. Nevertheless...

"I do." He admits finally, and a faint smile decorates Minjun's face. Wooyoung feels a tiny bit uncomfortable.

"I'll admit it. Sometimes Junghwa is a troublesome person, but she's not mad. She was the one who condemned what was happening in the Northern lab, and it was her order to cut ties with them. She wouldn't force anyone into a trial. I wouldn't allow that as well. So," He touches Wooyoung's knee gently, sending shivers down his leg. "You have nothing to worry about. I give you my word. You can tell that to Chansung and Junho. Also, this is so much bigger than us, we cannot delay it anymore: We have to make progress because the world is literally dying. I'm sure you can understand that." He's about to pull back but Wooyoung catches his hand. "Anything else?"  
"Yeah." Wooyoung pulls Minjun by the collar and kisses him hard, barely able to think about anything but the lips against his. Minjun's chair rolls closer and the doctor's forced to lean on Wooyoung's knees, allowing the latter's tongue inside his mouth. God, Wooyoung would do anything to be able to hold his breath forever, but he has to pull back to get some air into his lungs, and Minjun takes that chance to place his palm against Wooyoung's heaving chest, when Wooyoung's about to continue kissing all the rationality out of him.

"Wait." Wooyoung grins at how adorable Minjun's dishevelled hair looks, he didn't even realise he did that to him. "You gotta go."

"No." He tries to lean forward again, but Minjun's arm stops the cunning one right before he's about to go for round 2, 3, and more.

"Wooyoung! I have important work to do!" Minjun whines louder and the grin disappears from Wooyoung's face. Right, Minjun’s still a mad scientist who cannot calm down until he solves a puzzle.

"Fine fine..." Wooyoung stands up and walks away, really annoyed this didn't go as intended. However, he has an impromptu idea on how to make Minjun suffer. "Just so you know, it's the last time I'm allowing you to reject me. That prude behaviour is unacceptable and it will end soon. Also," He gives a wicked smile by the door. "I hope you masturbate as often as I do while thinking about you. Keep that image in mind." Minjun's perplexed face is more than enough and Wooyoung leaves fairly satisfied. At least he won this verbally.

-

There's a commotion in the meeting room, everyone in Solis has gathered for an important announcement. It's quite a big space, but many seats are empty because some employees have never made it to Solis. It feels a little ridiculous to be on a stage with a relatively small audience, yet Minjun has no other choice but to keep Junghwa’s company as she's about to deliver the news. It's been a couple of days since he had told her about the clinical death theory and strangely enough, Junghwa didn't speak much about it to him. It seemed like she was taking her time to come up with some sort of a plan.

Minjun looks at the front row where Chansung's squad is seated. They look rather calm, but Chansung keeps bouncing his leg nervously and that gives him away. When Junho notices Minjun's stare, he places a hand on Chansung's bouncing knee and whispers something into his ear. The bouncing stops.

This squad went through a lot, there's no denying it. Minjun knows they have all the rights to doubt the Solis team because they came from a facility that had unwilling test subjects, forced to take part in the trials.  
Nevertheless, Solis is different; Minjun knows that the best and when he made his promise to Wooyoung, he knew it wouldn't be broken. Junghwa is compassionate, even if she doesn't want to show it. It was a huge mistake to let Chansung, Junho, and Wooyoung go and meet Park Jinyoung; because ultimately she had a premonition the wind turbines have been sabotaged. She still regrets that, and Minjun is the only one who saw her in private, asking him for pills to keep her nerves intact. Right now, she looks confident, standing on the stage at the podium, waiting for everyone to settle down.

Minjun glances at Wooyoung, giving him a nod and a smile to assure that whatever is about to escape Junghwa's mouth won't hurt him or Taecyeon, or Nichkhun.

"It seems like everyone is here," She begins and Minjun focuses his gaze back on her profile. She didn't reveal her decision to him, so he’s as eager as everyone else to hear what she has in mind.  
"After months of fighting the virus we might have found a key to it." An expected murmur ripples across the crowd. "Our talented Minjun found out something very important, which might be a breakthrough in this disaster. We also have to thank Junho and Chansung for this, because if not for them, we wouldn't be able to even come up with any theory." She looks at them fondly for a moment and clears her throat. "It appears; a person can become immune to the virus if they have experienced clinical death. It's just a theory; however, a very plausible one, and to prove it we need a test subject, a living human being who has experienced clinical death."  
Whispering echoes once more and she takes a few moments before speaking up again. Minjun’s heartbeat speeds up for some reason and he notices how tense Chansung's squad is.  
"Now, I don't expect to get a volunteer and," She looks straight at Chansung's group. "I'm not here to force anyone. Travelling across the country looking for people to be forced to become guinea pigs is not an option, too. It's not resourceful and completely inhumane." She licks her lips and Minjun notices how white her knuckles turn as she cluthes on the podium harder. "Which is why I'm willing to be the guinea pig."  
Gasps fill the half-empty room, accompanied by disagreement. Minjun pulls her away immediately and turns away from the audience.

"With all due respect, what the hell are you doing?" He asks half-whispering and she touches his arm, a mix of understanding and warmth on her face.

"I'm doing what every good leader would do."

"But this is insane, it's just a theory! What if it's wrong? What if you die?"

"Minjun, I'm a survivor." She pulls her sleeve up and he sees very old scars on her wrist, right where her veins are. "I was dead once. I'm a perfect candidate for this trial." She pulls the sleeve down.

"No, I just cannot do this to you. You’re still shaken by the Park Jinyoung issue. Did you take your pills?" She smiles at him and shakes her head.

"I'm okay. I'm not suicidal. This is different. It could change everything and if it does, I want to be a part of it. I want to be useful."

"Junghwa," He shuts his eyes briefly and opens them again, relatively collected. "Your life is at stake here."

"Humanity is at stake here." She pats his arm and leaves him with his jaw hanging open, and he just sits down, crushed by her decision. She's made up her mind, he cannot change it. If he fucks up, she will die.

"I believe this theory," Her voice echoes in the room again and Minjun cannot bring himself to look at her as he buries his face in his palm, leaning on an arm rest. "However, in case it goes wrong, I'm leaving Minjun in charge of Solis." He looks up at her immediately, completely bewildered by her words. That's just too much pressure on him. Her life and Solis. This is too crazy. He almost wishes he hadn’t told tell her about the theory, but it's too late. His eyes find Wooyoung and the latter seems worried, making Minjun realise how broken he must look. This fucking sucks.

-

He's standing in front of the refrigerator, looking for samples of zombie blood to inject Junghwa with and as time goes by, accepting what’s about to happen isn’t getting any easier. If anything, it's getting even worse as he notices his hands shake a little. He puts the box away and leans on the table, breathing in and out to calm his nerves. 

This is why he never wanted to be a surgeon or any other type of doctor who has to deal with humans. That's why he chose a lab with microscopes, test tubes, computers, and whatnot. A human life is so damn hard to save. Minjun doesn't know how he managed to perform a surgery on Wooyoung without throwing up or failing miserably and thus, killing him, but he had no option back then. On the other hand, this... This is completely something else. Sure, the tests, computer simulations and many other things he ran to test this theory as much as possible have led him to a positive conclusion, but it still is just a theory! How she can jump on board like this and trust him completely, when Minjun doesn't trust himself 100%.

"Fuck me." He curses, still leaning on the table and looking down at his white lab shoes.

"I'd love to." A voice behind him says and he turns around to see Wooyoung leaning on the doorframe with his right shoulder.

"You and your unnecessary comments." Minjun takes the box and walks towards Wooyoung. "Now's really not the time." He almost passes by him, but Wooyoung blocks his way and Minjun's forced to stop. He knows Wooyoung wants to lighten the mood, but it's impossible when you're about to inject your boss with a regular zombie blood. He can't use Chansung or Junho's blood.

"Minjun," Wooyoung opens his arms, goofy smile gone from his face. "Come here."

He sighs and puts the box away on the shelf, then goes straight into Wooyoung's embrace. It seemingly is such a simple act, but it takes some of the weight off his heavy shoulders and Minjun presses his face into Wooyoung's shoulder, tightening his arms around his waist. He feels Wooyoung's palms rub his back in slow motions and breathes, inhaling Wooyoung's serenity.

"I'd kiss you but then all you could think of during the procedure would be me and we can't have that." Wooyoung says and Minjun chuckles into the sweater. That man has always had a way with words.

"Thanks." Minjun pulls away, takes the box, and leaves with a slightly lighter heart.

He enters the procedure room and helps Junghwa lie down, feeling a few pairs of eyes watching them behind the glass. Minjun allowed only the medical team, Chansung, Junho, and Wooyoung to watch the experiment. Medical team for obvious reasons, Chansung and Junho because they deserve it, and Wooyoung well... Because he's Wooyoung.

Only he and Fei are inside the procedure room, separated by the glass window from the rest. "I'll have to tie you down..." He says apologetically and Junghwa nods, knowing the risk of injuring her own people if she turns into a runner. Minjun takes time tightening the belts around her legs, arms, head and torso, ensuring everyone's safety.

"You don't have to look so down..." Her voice is quiet and calm, as if she's already made peace with whatever might happen to her.

"I'm afraid, to be honest." He can't lie, not at this moment, so he places his palm over her imprisoned hand. She's the epitome of composure, and he wishes he could be like that, too.

"I know, but we have to be strong. If this goes wrong, you have to be strong. I know there's a lot of pressure, but I believe you're capable of turning things around and keeping everything intact. You're our only hope and that's a lot to ask of you, but please, never give up. I trust you." Her eyes soften, looking so vulnerable like never before, and Minjun is allowed to see her fragility for a brief moment, before she turns her gaze away.

Minjun walks over to Fei and she gives him a pair of gloves and a face mask, as she's already wearing all of those.

"Minjun, we can do this." She touches his back and he nods, turning around with a prepared blood injection.

Junghwa doesn't look at him, her eyes are focused on the ceiling and it feels as if she's already somewhere else, brave, but scared. Now more than ever, Minjun can feel her. Probably because he feels the same.  
He puts the needle to her arm.

"Fei, start the timer." He hears a beep and the needle pierces Junghwa's skin, the virus entering her system through her vein. Minjun pulls out the syringe and throws it into the bin, while pressing a piece of gauze to the puncture wound.

Fei walks to him so they can look at the timer together. He knows it takes around 45 seconds for the virus to completely take over the body and the time goes so damn slow. Junghwa isn't showing any signs of discomfort, only her eyes are full of expectation mixed with fear.

Minjun gulps when it goes past 45 seconds and he glances at Fei, before turning back to Junghwa. "How are you feeling?"

"I... It's weird. A burning sensation in chest area... I..." She coughs and Minjun frowns, because she's not turning, but it doesn't look like she's feeling any better.

"Junghwa?" He can feel her body start to shiver, like she’s very cold, but she's not turning.

"Her heart rate is rising." Fei announces and Minjun doesn't know what to do. He doesn't know what's happening. "Minjun?" She asks and immediately they get startled when Junghwa starts coughing harder, but she coughs blood.

"Shit, she must have internal bleeding; her heart cannot cope with it." Minjun analyses the situation quickly, and he's taken aback when Junghwa's suddenly in full seizures, disoriented, and bleeding from her nose too. "She's not turning. The virus is killing her." He concludes in terror and looks at Fei, who's waiting for something magical to happen, because deep in their hearts both of them know they cannot help. "Get the defibrillator."

He uncovers Junghwa's chest quickly as Fei brings the defibrillator and puts it to work, counting and pressing the cold thing against the dying woman's chest. Minjun continues the action, trying to bring her to life, but the only sound in his ear is the flatline coming from the heart monitor. He presses the electrodes again and again, but the sound still continues, tearing his hopes to pieces.

"Minjun..." Fei speaks behind him, but he doesn't give up and continues, perfectly knowing this won't help. "Minjun! She's dead!" Fei screams almost crying this time and he stops, his chest heaving frantically and he drops the electrodes on the floor, staring at the body below him.

Her eyes are closed, blood on her face and chest. Junghwa died. She didn't turn. She just died.

"I..." Minjun says, feeling his eyes getting wet. Never in his life was he responsible for taking away someone’s life. He had no idea this could ever happen to him and it just did. As her body lay there, Minjun himself felt dead. "I need to be alone. Put her body in the refrigerator." He tears off his scrubs, mask, gloves, and without looking at anyone, he runs out of the lab into his room.

His failure cost a human life.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks @egle0702 for editing!  
> I'm thinking the next chapter might be the last one, not completely sure :) we will see. Anyway, don't forget to leave a comment ^^

He exits the elevator and turns towards the corridor he rarely walks through. It's never easy to comfort someone, especially when that someone is a scientist who has never experienced a person die on his hands. Wooyoung, however, has had this misfortune. It traumatized him to the point, he tried to ignore his feelings and dealt with grieving differently, almost becoming someone else. And he would have lost himself along the way if not for Junho and his resilience to drag him out of the deep dark shadows. Minjun is kind of similar in a way because, like Wooyoung, he tends to put up a front, hiding his true self. Maybe even worse than Wooyoung and that scares him. Minjun, if not forced to accept help, might become very miserable. So, Wooyoung is determined to do whatever it takes to help him.

Luckily, the door to the doctor's room isn't closed properly, so he pushes it warily and enters. He has never been to Minjun's room before, so it feels very intimate and kind of intrusive to enter without Minjun's permission. The room is much bigger than Wooyoung's, white walls and a few vivid paintings giving a little spice to the otherwise minimalistic interior. By default, there's a big bed and a table, covered with various books and notes. So typical of Minjun, Wooyoung cannot help but smile. 

There's a wooden board above the table with photos attached. When Wooyoung takes a step closer, heat fills his chest, because there is a photo of him laughing while pointing at an unimpressed Minjun, covered in pink glitter. The memory of that day comes back to him effortlessly, because it was a petty prank to get back at Minjun for pushing Wooyoung's ice cream into his face. Minjun would find glitter on his body even half a year after the prank, and so he never ruined Wooyoung's food ever again. 

Wooyoung sighs and glances at the floor, seeing Minjun's clothes scattered in a messy line towards the bathroom. He hears water running and Minjun must be in there, but he doesn't hear water splashing or any regular showering sounds. Nothing is stopping the regular water flow, and Wooyoung's heart sinks at the worst thought. No, Minjun wouldn't do that himself... Or would he?

Wooyoung hurries and opens the door hastily, passing the small corridor with toiletries on a sink, and slides open the opaque shower stall. Humid air hits him in the face and he sees Minjun standing under the shower head, with his back to Wooyoung. He doesn't seem to notice him or just doesn't want to. His figure looks rigid and only the water running down his body seems to be alive.

"Minjun?" Wooyoung says, claws of worry digging at his heart, because the man in front of him looks so broken: His posture is one of a completely defeated person, and he looks so damn vulnerable Wooyoung is afraid to do anything at all.

Water current changes when Minjun moves a little and tilts his head as if waking up from slumber. "I couldn't..." His voice wavers and Wooyoung frowns, fingers itching to hold Minjun close and tell him something comforting, even though it probably wouldn’t help. It’s worth a try. 

"Minjun, I-"

"Even..." He turns his head so Wooyoung can see his profile and licks his lips before speaking. "Even if it's just for a few seconds, or a minute, or more, please," Minjun turns around fully, and Wooyoung finally sees the anguish on the doctor's face, his wet hair loosely clinging onto his damp skin. "Make me forget."

Wooyoung's clothes immediately get drenched as he steps into the shower and cups Minjun's face in his hands, looking him directly into the sombre eyes. "I won't hold back." He warns.

"That's what I want." Minjun says and Wooyoung doesn't hesitate when he kisses Minjun hard, pushing him to the tiled shower wall.

It's hot and intense with Minjun's fingers all over his body, and Wooyoung drags them both deeper into the sea of raw lust. It hurts Wooyoung, because that's not how he wanted to treat Minjun: After such a long time apart, he wanted their first time to be different, loving, but it's not up to him now. He allows Minjun to be selfish and rough, and in return, he gives him something to hold on to. Be it his body, his inner strength or something else. Whatever makes Minjun feel his support.

Minjun comes between them, his thighs wrapped tight around Wooyoung's waist and he bites onto Wooyoung's shoulder, making the latter curse and push into him harder. It takes a few more thrusts for Wooyoung to finish, and Minjun’s breath ghosts over his wet skin as Wooyoung releases him, helping him stand steady on the slippery tiles. He turns off the water, exits the shower, and grabs a few towels.

He's startled when he turns around and sees Minjun right in front of him, like a ghost. "Thanks." He says and takes the towel from Wooyoung's hands. "And sorry about that." He glances at the distinct teeth mark on Wooyoung's shoulder. There are tiny traces of blood coming from the bruise. He watches Minjun wrap the towel around his hips. "I need to disinfect it." Minjun says, way too casually, and Wooyoung knows it's just a distraction from whatever is going on in the doctor’s mind.

"That can wait."

"No, it can get infected or..." Minjun looks away, his lips slightly parted, vexed. Wooyoung sighs, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"It happened. It won’t give you peace for a while." Minjun presses his face into Wooyoung’s nape, fingers pressed against Wooyoung's chest. "But it will pass, too."

"I shouldn't have done that..." His voice is muffled. Wooyoung pulls away to look at his tired eyes.

"It was her choice. She knew the odds. She told you not to blame yourself, didn't she?" Minjun bites on his lip, frustrated. "Science is unpredictable; there will always be a moment of failure. It's what you learn from it that matter the most. You will learn something from this, I know it. Because it's you, Minjun. So many people believe in you, so, believe in yourself. And while it hurts, let the pain remind you why you're doing what you're doing." He palms the back of Minjun's head and leans closer. "I've also experienced loss; I know how hard it can be. Just know you can trust me. I'm there for you."

Minjun knits his eyebrows and his smile is anguished, but Wooyoung feels he reached deep enough to make him reconsider a thing or two. That's enough. 

"Now, you can fix that vampire bite. I don’t mind it, though."

Minjun's smile becomes warmer and he touches Wooyoung's jaw, kissing him slowly, not so desperately like before. 

 

-

 

"We need to do something." Junho declares hiding behind a car in Solis yard, looking at Minjun who's pacing in circles around a bush.

It's been almost 2 weeks since Junghwa's death and even though he appears to be working in the laboratory like usual, he cannot bring himself to examine her body. His sullen face looks brighter only when Wooyoung pesters him. At least he allows him to do that.

"Do we have any options, really? Wooyoung is the only one who has some positive effect on him." Taecyeon notes and wraps his arm around Chansung's shoulder.

"Everyone knows he's grieving, but it cannot go on like this. I mean, he has work to do." Nichkhun shrugs, sitting on a decorative stone.

"Wow, isn't that a little harsh?" Wooyoung frowns at him. Nichkhun's face softens apologetically as he feels a little guilty.

"Sorry."

"Ugh," Wooyoung kicks a pebble. "I mean, I know what you have in mind, but... We cannot force him? He's a lovely butterfly in a tortoise shell."

"Wow, your analogy is just beyond terrible." Junho cannot hide his disappointment and Wooyoung gives him his signature death glare. Junho got used to it by now.

"Love is really a dangerous thing, melts your brain." Taecyeon agrees, Wooyoung's death glare quadrupling.

"Says the one who cannot take his eyes off the pilot's ass." Wooyoung bites back.

"That is a fine ass. Smart, too." Taecyeon doesn't seem to be bothered by Wooyoung's insult as he stares at Jiwon fondly, who’s working on a flower pot a little further away. She doesn't seem to notice them looking, busy talking to Fei.

"Okay, back to the topic. Minjun." Chansung gathers everyone's attention and Junho's thankful for that. This gang can get sidetracked really easily these days. "We're stuck here, so we have to come up with something, we need to distract him."

Junho sucks in his lips, deep in thought, when an idea pops in his head. "You're right!" He chuckles. "We're stuck here, that's the problem!"

"Wait..." Wooyoung face is doubtful. "Don't tell me you're suggesting what I think you're going to suggest." Junho nods, cheerful.

"We have to take him outside these walls. It should shake him up. He needs to see the reality we live in, it should motivate him!" Junho feels like he has just been visited by a choir of angels, his smile as radiant as ever. Wooyoung's not amused though.

"Do you know how risky that is?" He asks Junho, crossing arms over his chest, looking like a very concerned dad. Sure, Junho is aware of zombies and possibly not so friendly survivors, how could he ever forget that?

"Of course I do, but if it's our group, it will be okay. Chansung and I are super strong and super invisible to the zombies. Khun and Taec, who are very skilled, are itching to go out too, I bet." They nod in agreement. "And you can join us for moral support, while Jihoon's squad secures Solis." Everyone stares at Wooyoung now, because for some reason they feel like he needs to agree to this on his own free will; otherwise it won't work.

Junho touches Wooyoung's shoulder, encouraging him. "I know you're worried, but it's probably the only way to make him feel something other than just sadness or lust." Wooyoung frowns.

"Aaaargh!" He growls and throws his arms up in frustration. "Fuck. Okay. Fine. Let's go."

"Release the butterfly from the tortoise shell~" Taecyeon coos and earns a smack on the head from Wooyoung.

"Fuck off."

They start walking towards Minjun, who's so deep in thought he notices them only when they stop in his way. He looks surprised by the audience.

"Let's go outside." Junho announces, confusing Minjun even more.

"But we are outside."

"I mean, behind the Solis walls. A nearby town or something like that." Minjun tilts his head, obviously sceptic.

"Are you crazy? It's dangerous."

"Precisely." Junho beams. Minjun looks at him like he's on brain damaging drugs.

"I'm not going anywhere." He turns on his heel to flee.

"Minjun." Wooyoung calls and he stops from walking away. "We should go."

"I'm not going."

"You are." Wooyoung runs to him, grabs him and loads Minjun over his shoulder.

"What the fuck?!" He yells.

"Holy shit, it's like stealing a bride." Taecyeon is way too amused by all of this as they run to the armoured truck, attracting everyone's attention. People in the yard do not seem to be alerted or scared. On the contrary, they're laughing, because this is probably the first time everyone feels cheerful.

Junho and Wooyoung strap Minjun onto his seat, feeling an aura of anger oozing from the doctor.

"I can't believe you conspired against me." He hisses and Wooyoung looks somewhat happy. Junho laughs. Must be the change of the mood.

"He's doing this because he loves you." Junho says and that shuts Minjun up. His cheeks turn red as he sits there quietly.

Taecyeon huffs as he throws two huge bags into the car. "Let's change into proper clothes; Nichkhun's bringing out the guns."

"I probably should get changed too or are you going to keep me strapped to my seat only in my sweatpants and a shirt?" Minjun notes and Junho moves over to him.

"Don't try to run away." He warns, smiling mischievously, and Minjun sighs exasperatedly.

"Fine..." He gives up.

When Nichkhun's back with the guns, they're all dressed and ready. Junho feels excited and he can tell that the rest of the group is excited, too. Minjun looks somewhat more alive and that's a good sign.

"Now, let's remember the basic rules. Stay in formation. Don't freak out if you see 3R, however, I doubt we will see any runners. By now most of them should be regulars and we can deal with that. If we see a survivor, wait for my orders." Chansung says and Taecyeon slaps his arm, grinning.

"Now, that's my Sergeant! I missed you~" He ruffles Chansung's hair, something he would have never done before the zombie apocalypse, and Chansung doesn't seem to mind it as he grins, sighing at his right-hand man. Junho already loves his own idea to get out of here, because everyone seems thrilled by the unexpected field trip. A dangerous one, nonetheless.

Chansung's behind the wheel, so he radios Jihoon to open the gate and they're finally out of the safe prison.

Junho's on the back seat with Minjun and Wooyoung, while Taecyeon and Nichkhun keeps Chansung company in the front. The initial adrenaline rush is gone and, as the car moves further away from Solis, their mindset changes accordingly. Junho himself remembers what it is like to be a soldier and judging from Chansung's squad's faces, the feeling's mutual. Wooyoung's face is serene: he's used to the scenery of destruction. Meanwhile, Minjun's looking wide-eyed at their surroundings. This must feel surreal to someone who's been living behind safe walls for months.

"What do you think?" Junho asks the doctor.

"It's worse than I imagined. A little scary." Minjun admits, concerned. "It's hard to believe you travelled across the country to try your luck with Solis."

"It was our only hope." Junho smiles faintly, remembering what they went through and Minjun knows only one side of that story. Junho notices Wooyoung's palm land on top of Minjun's hand, resting on his knee, and looks away, letting the couple have their little moment. He then looks at the back of Chansung's head, thinking how lucky he was to meet him. 

Junho returns his gaze to the neglected yet oddly calming scenery. He actually missed enjoying a ride.

The armoured vehicle enters a ghost town, not even a single zombie in sight. They must have caught on a herd and travelled somewhere else, Junho concludes. Broken windows and cars, bottles and other trash, random dead bodies on the streets: that's how this small town greets them.

A gust of dusty wind soars past the car when Chansung hits the brakes and turns off the engine. Junho looks at an unusual building with a round and tall construction on the rooftop. It's an observatory.

"We should've come at night to look at the stars." Taecyeon says.

"Well, we can pretend we're urban explorers who get off on exploring abandoned buildings." Chansung chuckles lightly. "Excited?" He looks back at Minjun.

"Excited to not get eaten alive." 

"Great, let's go."

Junho picks the lock and goes in first to check if there are any zombies.

The building looks tidy compared to shabby streets, a miracle no one tried to break in. Junho marvels at the dust particles highlighted by sunlight. The walls are decorated with the 70s style sci-fi posters, alien figurines, and stars here and there. This place has its charm, he thinks while motioning for the squad to come in. The observatory is safe.

They find a staircase leading to the rooftop and follow it, quite curious to see the town from above. 

Once again Junho picks the lock and grants the team rooftop access. It's windy there and the afternoon sun gives the grey building a nostalgic tint. They line up at the edge, leaning on the rail. The town is derelict, but somehow beautiful. It's so peaceful without people. Junho looks at Minjun, the latter seemingly deep in thought and not so stiff anymore. He probably finds some sort of comfort in this place.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Junho says and Minjun glances at him slightly puzzled, but a moment later he nods, smiling. 

"It's probably insensitive to think like that when the reason this town looks the way it does now is because everyone is dead. But yeah, overall, this is freakishly beautiful. Oh, look." Minjun points at a moving figure on a street. A roamer. Junho notices how his face clouds up. He must be thinking about Junghwa as he seems to drift away mentally. The zombie looks like a female, too. Junho walks away and grabs Chansung by his arm, guiding him a little further behind a corner.

"We have to tell him." He earns a confused stare from the Sergeant.

"What?"

"About what I did at the Northern lab." Chansung frowns at Junho. He didn't expect this, obviously.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I think he needs to stop blaming himself and he needs to realize he's not the only one who's done a terrible thing. Right now he's under the impression he's the worst human being and that stops him from moving forward." Chansung's dark eyes soften, sunlight making his expression and skin look so warm, Junho has a sudden rush of infatuation.

"And you're willing to give yourself as an example of a bad human being?" He asks quietly and Junho nods. "If so, then tell him and the rest of the people on this rooftop about what I did at the war museum." Now Junho frowns, knowing how fresh Chansung's wounds are, but he has a point.

"I love you." Junho leans forward and kisses Chansung, burying his fingers in his hair. Just how many more times this man will melt his heart by being so selfless?

"You really are a good human being, Junho." He whispers on his lips, looking into his eyes. "I need you more and more." Junho smiles.

"Later. We have a confession to make." They pull apart and walk to the oblivious gang, marvelling at the sight.

"You know, we haven't been completely honest with you, Minjun." They turn around at Junho's voice. "And with everyone, too." He sees confusion on the faces before him.

"I'm responsible for the destruction of the Northern lab." Junho stares at Minjun as the latter crosses his arms. He doesn't look too shocked though. "That doesn't surprise you?"

"Well, I had a feeling something was fishy, but now I want to know more before I can judge." Junho runs a hand through his hair and sighs, sitting down on a concrete bench. There it goes.

"You already know about inhumane research. As you can guess, I was a lab rat." Minjun nods in understanding. "I was suffering a lot, physically and mentally, can’t even describe it. So, when I got the chance, I used it. I initiated the self-destruct program, ran to the rooftop and thought I'd die with everyone, because there was no way to escape the building without injuring or killing myself. Thankfully, Chansung was out of the building with his entire squad and he caught me when I jumped down. He saved me and I lied to him and his team." Junho looks down at his feet, memories still vivid. 

"I didn't care much about them, until I was reminded decent human beings still existed. They were genuinely good people and when I woke from my slumber of hatred and confusion, I realised what I had done was too terrible to reveal, so I kept on lying, even though I knew it was wrong. I didn't want them to hate me, because... I was afraid they'd abandon me. I was also frustrated because I..." Junho feels his ears heat up and he glances away, still not used to talk about this in public. "I fell in love with Chansung. Then, the car crash happened, and I was forced to confess. Thanks to Nichkhun and Wooyoung, who was hurting at the time as well." He offers a gentle smile to Wooyoung and the latter returns it. They could’ve killed each other at the time and look where they are now.

"I thought they were done with me, but then Taecyeon showed up and I got a chance to redeem myself by helping him. After that night, I did everything I could to repay them. We went through a lot to get to Solis and it was all because of me. I blamed myself for everything. If I hadn't destroyed the Northern lab, there would have been no need to go to Solis in the first place. If I hadn't destroyed the lab, Chansung wouldn't have lost almost all of his squad and Wooyoung wouldn't have lost his colleague. If I hadn't destroyed the building, maybe we would already have the antidote to all this. I kept on blaming myself, but I knew I couldn't go on like this. I had to move on for the sake of everyone else. I had to take action." Junho stands up and walks over to the railing. 

"Because I had Chansung beside me, I had the will to go on. And when the time came, I did everything to help Chansung so he wouldn't blame himself for what happened at the war museum."

"Wait..." Taecyeon's goofy character is long gone as his expression reveals how serious he is. "What are you implying?"

"Let him finish." Chansung says, looking nervous and Junho wishes he could wrap him in a blanket or something, because Chansung’s afraid of his comrades’ reactions.

"My plan didn't work out." Junho licks his lips, slightly nervous, too. "On my way to the museum, I noticed a fire. I also saw two men running away, so I shot them. All I got from them was that something went terribly wrong. When I got there, the gate was locked and the place seemed like literal hell: rabids everywhere, pure chaos. I found Chansung killing the rabids. He was out of his mind." Junho quiets down for a little, trying to find the right words. Confessions aren't easy and somehow he always gets to be the one revealing the truth. However, he has to do it for Chansung, it would probably be too hard for him to retell the story, but at least he has given him a permission to do so. Chansung didn't want Junho to be the only one receiving judgment.

"When they caught Chansung, his plan was similar to mine: he wanted to destroy them with his blood. What he didn't know was the place had not only evil men like Jinyoung. He was told Solis would be destroyed during the exchange and he was determined to stop that at any cost. That cost began with a little girl they brought in to manipulate Chansung to see if he was really telling the truth about his blood giving the immunity to people who were injected with it. He had to sacrifice the child and the entire population Jinyoung had in his hands for the sake of Solis." Junho intertwines his fingers, his eyes scanning faces in front of him. Composure. 

"He also had no idea how big that place was and how many people it contained. Only when the girl was brought in he realised there might be more innocent people. Still, he had to make a choice. So he did." He notices Chansung's glassy eyes as he stares at nothing in particular and it hurts Junho. "Everyone turned into rabids. Luckily, the two men who ran away from the compound locked the gate so no one could get out. 3R from around the area noticed the fire and chaos, so a herd was moving towards the place. We had to destroy everything, so I helped Chansung kill every last one of the rabids and we burned them so the mutation wouldn’t spread." Nichkhun exhales and gives an apologetic look at Chansung, only now understanding why he has been slightly gloomy for the past few weeks.

"You should have told us..." Taecyeon says quietly, but he doesn't say it in a reprimanding manner. Just a little upset.

"I know, but I needed time. I still see their faces when I sleep, although it's getting better now...." Chansung smiles at Junho fondly and it’s obvious he’s the reason for getting better. Junho can tell Chansung’s already feeling better after getting it all off his shoulders. Keeping it all between the two of them wasn’t easy, but it was necessary to set everything straight in Chansung's mind.

It's quiet for a while, only wind and birds provide some background noise. Junho watches Minjun as he turns around and holds onto the railing, but there's something different about him now. Wooyoung puts his left arm around the doctor's shoulders and whispers something into his ear, the latter nodding.

"We can go back to Solis." Wooyoung announces and, reluctantly, everyone stars moving. Only the sun setting lower makes Junho realize they've spent quite a long time here, driving to the town included. It's easy to lose track of time when you're enjoying the missed freedom.

He's the first one to exit the building and the roamer from before is quite close now. Junho draws his blade and is ready to walk over to the zombie, when someone catches him by the arm. It's Minjun.

"Let's take her to Solis."

Junho raises his eyebrow.

"Isn't that considered too dangerous? Solis is so sterile."

"Maybe because it's too sterile I forgot that sometimes to get something done you need to get your hands dirty."

Junho smiles at him warmly, seeing this trip didn't go in vain. Minjun is still hurting, but finally he's ready to move on.

"You heard him," Chansung stands beside Junho. "I saw a full face helmet back in the car, Taec grab it. Junho and I will tie up her arms and legs."

"Got it." Taecyeon says as Chansung and Junho run towards the walking corpse.

They grab what was once a young woman and tie her up. She's all skin and bones, so they don’t need much force to contain her and when Taecyeon offers the helmet, Junho puts it on her head. 

They load the roamer into the back of the car, where Junho and Chansung keep it company, just in case. Taecyeon turns on the engine and the car shoots forward.

"I won't tell anyone what I heard today." Minjun says, looking at Chansung and Junho. "I can only admire that after all this time you're still sane. I've got to learn something from you."

The rest of the ride is calm, all of them having something to think about, and only grunts from under the helmet remind them that the world is far from being a safe place. The secret of immunity will have to be cracked at some point, and Minjun is ready to get back to it.

 

-

 

Soft fabric slides down his torso as he puts his shirt on, sitting on the edge of his bed. Yesterday, he got out of Solis and it left a deep impression. He was stubborn at first, afraid of what might happen, but the change was necessary. He's just happy he got to do it with experienced and caring people. Seeing derelict buildings, streets marked by death, hearing the truth: it was eye-opening.

He's not the only one with internal battles: all of these people have gone through something horrible and despite everything, they haven’t fallen back. They get strength from each other, they have a purpose, and Minjun's a part of that purpose, he might be even the key. That's a lot of responsibility, and so much depends on him. This will be his motivation, even if it gets tough sometimes.

"Leaving already?" A pair of arms hugs him from behind, planting soft kisses on his neck.

"I have to do something." Minjun says, determined. It's about time. Wooyoung moves to sit beside him.

"Examine Junghwa's body?"

"That too, but first, I have to check her room, maybe put her things together. It's funny, but I've never had the chance to be in her room. She was that private, so it feels like intruding, you know." Minjun shrugs and bends down to grab a pair of pants off the floor.

"Do you need help?"

"Nah, I'll be fine on my own." He puts on the pants.

"Okay, if you need a sexy helper, call me." Minjun chuckles at him as Wooyoung gets off the bed, completely naked. The teeth mark on his shoulder still visible.

"Get some clothes, man. You're distracting me."

"That's the point." Wooyoung grins, circling his arms around Minjun's shoulders. "You asked me to make you forget, remember?"

"I didn't ask to permanently act like a porn star."

"And yet you pretend you dislike it." His smug smirk annoys Minjun, but he also loves it. Wooyoung is just the right type of distraction, but he's more than that. Minjun doesn't reject another sloppy kiss, allowing Wooyoung press close to him. That passion between them is still as strong as the first time they slept together a few years ago.

"Okay, enough." Minjun pulls back.

"No," Wooyoung attempts to latch himself onto the doctor again, but he swiftly avoids it.

"Do I need to splash you with holy water?" He moves to the door.

"If that turns you on..." Wooyoung winks suggestively.

"Oh god..."

Minjun hears Wooyoung's laugh as he exits the room quickly. The temptation to stay was strong, but there's also a sense of responsibility tugging at his brain. Pleasure later.

It's always like that with him. You can talk about serious things and then a second later there's a drastic mood change. But that's what Minjun has always liked about Wooyoung. That unpredictable yet kind nature of his. He knows it's all for the sake of making him feel better and Minjun couldn't be more appreciative.

He presses Junghwa's key card and the door unlocks. The room is quite tidy, a couple of flower pots with succulents, photos of her family and a laptop right in the middle of her clean table. He pulls the chair and sits down, noticing a CD placed on top of the laptop.

_To Minjun._

It makes him feel uneasy, because whatever it is, it was planned in the case of her death. He gulps, taking the CD out of the white case.

He opens the laptop and sees a desktop with a wallpaper of her family. Minjun puts the CD into the CD-ROM and exhales nervously when the dialogue box opens.

_Open the file?_

Minjun clicks.

_Yes._

There's a video, filmed in Junghwa's room, right where Minjun is sitting. A shiver goes down his spine. This is surreal and unnerving.

"Hello, Minjun." Junghwa smiles and takes a deep breath. "If you're watching this, it means I'm dead. So, there's something I need to tell you."

Minjun's body goes numb.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER!!!  
> This final chapter is full of bullshit and weird theories, so please be open-minded and don't judge me too hard lol. I tried *sighs*  
> Huge thanks to @egle0702 for editing this mess

They stare at the original and the replica, Junho's not quite sure of their purpose here. Chansung looks equally confused, directing his gaze at Wooyoung, who has his eyes glued to the two triangle-shaped spaceships. It’s their first time here, and everything is overwhelming.

"Why are we here?" Chansung asks, fidgeting with his hands in his pockets.

"I thought maybe outsiders could help me brainstorm some ideas to make at least one of these things work." Wooyoung smiles at them, and Junho knows the brainiacs must be at the very end of the rope if Wooyoung comes to them for ideas. An engineer asking for ideas from soldiers. _Wow_ , Junho shakes his head. Times have definitely changed.

"Did you forget we're soldiers, not engineers or scientists? What about Yin and Yang over there?" Junho glances at a couple of engineers a bit further, discussing something. He doesn't even know their real names. Everyone just calls them Yin and Yang because even though they're not related, they have this odd mental connection where they can finish each other’s sentences as if they had the same brain. Slightly creepy, in Junho's opinion. Having Wooyoung in this team surely must be refreshing for the two engineers who share similar thoughts. Wooyoung must probably feel like a third wheel. At least Junho would.

"Well, I figured people from a different field might come up with something that I, an engineer, might not be aware of. You know, like when you test a new product and you need a focus group that would point out flaws and stuff."

"I mean... It's still far from what we do, but sure, why not..." Chansung shrugs. The situation can't turn any worse than it already is: a replica and the original, both completely dead.

"It seems like we went through everything, but we still can't make the thing work. I haven't told you this because we have just found out recently..." Wooyoung sighs heavily. "It's a wild idea, but we cannot come up with something else. We think the aliens didn't bring the virus to kill the human kind. We think the container with the virus was actually the fuel for the spaceship..."

"What?! That's like... a live fuel. An organism." Junho tries to wrap his head around the idea. A virus that runs an spacecraft... "Wow..."

"True. We found traces of it in the wiring or whatever you may call it in this case. There are no other traces of any type of fuel that we know. The spaceship itself was a bitch to recreate because the material was a little different from what we have on Earth, but thanks to science, they managed to recreate it. So, we actually put some virus-infused liquid into the pod and placed it where it was originally found first..."

"Sounds dangerous for someone who can get infected if not careful enough." Junho deadpans.

"I know, but that was the only solution we could come up with. However, when we put it all in, nothing changed. It's totally safe, by the way, don't worry." Wooyoung notices the skeptic look on their faces, knowing the virus that caused all this mayhem is actually on the ship. Despite the fact it's transferred through blood, it still makes you paranoid, even if you're immune to it. Minjun wouldn't have let them transfer the virus without making sure it's safe, Junho assumes.

"You still need the key." He notes, adding all pieces together now. 

"Yeah... There's no place for a key, no ignition button or anything. Also, we don't know anything about the software that runs the spaceship because it's dead. So this replica is a very expensive eye candy, until we learn how to make the original work, even if it's broken. We took our time and rebuilt the damaged parts. Let's walk in, I'll show you around." Wooyoung leads them up the ladder and it would be dark inside if not for a couple of LED lights in the spacecraft.

"This looks out of this world." Junho concludes, staring at the sleek interior. Details look glassy; the control desk has a tinted dark window above it. There are two chairs and not that much space to walk around. It almost looks like everything was made of crystals or something, surfaces are slightly glittery.

"Wow..." Chansung's impressed by the sight, as he's used to seeing iron and plastic surfaces.

"Is that the virus pod?" Junho points at the slightly protruding round object in the middle of the control desk. Wooyoung nods and as they walk closer to it, Junho takes a better look at the pod beneath the lid.

"Yeah, the lid contains some sort of sensors. I thought it could only be unlocked by a person with the right fingerprints, but I was wrong because when I placed my hand over it and pressed the lid down, it just opened. So, this theory is invalid."

"So, why would they place let's say, the heart of the spaceship under a lid with fingerprint sensors?" Junho's mind is up for a task at this point, curious to learn more about the spaceship. If they make it work, they might use it to save people in the future. Maybe Yubin is still waiting? He glances at Chansung, seemingly pensive. He must be thinking about that a lot because he's a man of his word.

"I thought you might help me with this. The lid opening mechanism doesn't require power." Wooyoung leans back on the control desk, arms crossed. "All three of us tried touching it, and it would only open or close when we push it. Nothing else."

"It's like you're different species, so it doesn't work." Junho chuckles at the thought, but Wooyoung's face suddenly lights up and he slaps Junho's shoulder immediately. "What?"

"What if the virus inside the pod corresponds with the virus in your body? It's like an organism, right? You bonded with it, after all! Maybe the virus inside you is the ignition key? The pod is the match box and you’re the match?"

Wooyoung looks like a mad hatter for a moment: his eyes burning in revelation with a very unsettling grin across his face. Junho stares at Chansung in doubt, but who is he to object this idea? No one believed in aliens, and here they are, standing in a thing that wasn’t created by Earthlings. Zombies were a fiction, too. What else could be real?

"So, you want me to touch it?" Junho asks, getting closer to the protruding pod.

"You or Chansung, doesn't matter." Wooyoung's gawking at them both expectantly. Junho sighs.

"Okay."

He places his right palm above the surface, not knowing what to expect because, honestly, Wooyoung's idea sounds too far-fetched, but it's worth a try. The triangle aircraft won't explode or anything, right? Junho exhales and puts his palm on the round surface, pretending to expect nothing, but his heartbeat speeds up involuntarily.

"Doesn't look like it- Whoah!" Junho yelps and pulls back his hand immediately.

"What?!" Both Chansung and Wooyoung yell at him as Junho looks down at his palm and he can swear it felt like his palm got a mini electrocution.

"It felt like bolts of electricity went through my fingers. Nothing painful, but surprised me. Let me try again." He's still slightly spooked, but Junho puts his hand down on top of the pod and doesn't flinch when he feels the same sensation from before. It spreads throughout his body and he can swear it feels like his cells are connecting or something.

They hear a low hum, coming from within the ship and the crystal-like surfaces start emitting light, making the inside of the aircraft visible and bright. After that, a few more sounds follow, various beeps and whatnot, so their eyes are running from one part of the ship to another, realizing they've just cracked the nut, which minutes ago seemed impossible to do.

"It's fucking working. I can't believe it." Wooyoung stares at Junho, awe mixed with confusion.

"Let me try." Chansung pushes Junho away.

"Hey!" He slaps his arm playfully.

"Wow, it really feels weird." Chansung says a few moments after he places his hand on the surface. "Do you think you could operate the spaceship?" He asks Wooyoung.

"Probably not, it responds only to those who have the virus inside them." Wooyoung puts his hand on the pod and shakes his head. "I don't feel anything."

"I guess we should take up flying lessons, huh?" Chansung grins, seemingly satisfied with the idea. "I've always thought it'd be amazing to be a pilot."

"Well, we just have to drag Jiwon out of Taec's bedroom and have her teach us the basics." Junho's eyes scan the hologram dashboard above the control desk and he presses what looks like a window icon. Instantly, the window loses its dark tint and they can see Yin and Yang staring at them from the outside. They look astonished to say the least.

"We need to tell Minjun." Wooyoung says as they exit the spaceship and let the engineer duo enter it for further examination. Wooyoung briefly explains the situation to them and leaves with Junho and Chansung. What a breakthrough!

"It kind of sucks you can't control it, because it will be either me or Chansung slaving there, helping you analyze everything about the ship."

They exit the elevator and walk towards Minjun's domain: the laboratory.

"Come on; don't act like you hate it. It's exciting, isn't it? To be a part of something so amazing!" Wooyoung's eyes sparkle like the inside of the spaceship. Junho nods chuckling.

They find Minjun looking at the computer screen, deep in thought, as per usual. He turns around on his chair when he hears them. Junho realizes it's been a few weeks since Minjun has got himself together and examined Junghwa's body.

Wooyoung was whining a little about how the doctor got slightly more reclusive, but it was a good thing because it seemed like he has finally found something important. Minjun didn't share what it was though, and no one really bothered him about it because they all knew how obsessed Minjun can get with his work. Asking him stuff before it was done was kind of pointless because he wouldn’t say anything until he was 100% sure of it. Especially now, more than ever.

Junho can deal with it, but he imagines Wooyoung must be slightly frustrated with that. Or maybe not so much because he's used to Minjun and his weird rituals. Giving him space frees him, that's what Wooyoung said a couple of days ago.

"What's up?" 

"We brought the spaceship to life." Wooyoung looks so smug Junho almost snorts. Minjun raises his eyebrow.

"How did you do it?"

"The virus inside their bodies," He points at Junho and Chansung. "Corresponds with the virus inside the pod. They're like, connected. Only they can make that thing work." Minjun frowns and doesn't seem to share Wooyoung's ecstatic mood. He looks oddly pressured, if anything.

"What?" Junho asks, sensing this conversation is about to take an interesting turn.

"I guess it's time to tell you." Minjun runs his hand through his thick hair. He has dark circles under his eyes.

"Yeah? What?" Wooyoung turns really impatient. Junho can’t blame him.

"Junghwa recorded a video before she went on to become my guinea pig. She left it to me in her room." Minjun stands up, his face slightly gloomy. "I kept it to myself until I could make something out of it. And I feel like it's the right time to share this with you."

"We're fucked, aren't we?" Junho asks trying to ease the tension, and Minjun smiles.

"It depends. You see, I have some really weird information and it might be hard to accept it. For some people, at least." Minjun wheezes and gnaws on his lip.

"Junghwa said she had some top secret information and she knew about it only because she had broken into one of her father's safes when she was in her rebellious teenage phase. She found files with top classified information regarding aliens in our planet. What she told me in the video was the fact that we, human race, are much closer to the aliens than we might think. They did some genetic experiments with us. And the result of that was..." Minjun looks like he's really uncomfortable. "Homosexuality."

"Say that again?" Wooyoung's eyes blink rapidly a few times while processing the information.

"They did that to animals too, but not so much. Humans were their main target. I don't know if they did that for fun or just because they had nothing better to do. All I know is that homosexuality lies in our DNA." Minjun shrugs.

"Hold on," Junho walks closer to him. "We are a byproduct of alien experiments?"

"Yep. That's why I think the virus bonded with you two. It recognized something within your genetic code and adapted successfully, because the alien race that fucked with our genes... They're hermaphrodites. So probably they decided to play with our DNA a little, maybe they wanted to make us more like them? Who knows...?

“Anyway, I'm a virologist-microbiologist; I don't specialize in genetics, so it was very hard for me to spot the missing link. That's what I've been doing since I’ve seen Junghwa's video. I compared our genetic codes with heterosexual people and found one tiny fragment that makes us different. You know officially, scientists have never fully agreed that our DNA is different, but apparently, that tiny fragment makes all the difference. Maybe they were told to keep it a secret because I don’t believe it went completely unnoticed. Anyway, I did a few experiments with different types of blood... The results were good."

"You mean it bonded with our blood?" Wooyoung asks his eyes wide.

"Yeah, since Chansung and Junho have already gone through the ordeal and there are no other homosexual people in Solis left but the two of us, I experimented with our blood and DNA." Minjun looks a little tense, Junho doesn't quite understand why.

"But that's great! Why do you look like it’s not a good thing, though?" Junho asks, noticing Minjun taking a few steps back.

"Well, if that's really true that would mean only homosexual people can bond with the virus because they have the 100% compatibility with it because of that genome fragment. Heterosexuals or bisexuals fall out of the spectrum." Minjun keeps backing up slowly and Junho frowns, suspicion eating him from the inside.

"So, the world will be saved by gays and lesbians?" Wooyoung laughs at his own thought. "Talk about all the conspiracy theories and the so-called homosexual agenda, huh? We will save the world. How about that?"

"Most likely." Minjun agrees, holding something in his hand.

"But you still look troubled, what's up?" Junho can't shake off the feeling there's one "but" left here.

"Well, I don't have a test subject I would like to try my theory on." Minjun looks at Wooyoung, and it dawns upon Junho finally. It's either Wooyoung or Minjun, but Minjun won't try this on Wooyoung, there's no way.

"I mean... I'm willing to try." Wooyoung shrugs as if it's not a life or death situation.

"Like hell you are." Minjun deadpans and swiftly disappears into the room where they had conducted the experiment on Junghwa. Junho barely registers when the door to the room shuts quickly, disabling them from going inside. Minjun had the key card.

"Wait, wait, wait! You're not doing what I think you're doing??" Wooyoung slaps his palms against the unbreakable glass. Junho and Chansung glance at each other nervously. That goddamn doctor is out of his mind. He has finally gone completely nuts.

"I'm sorry, but I won't try this on you and I know it's selfish, but I don't see any other option. It's not like we have a gay sanctuary outside of the Solis walls and we can fetch one whenever I need a test subject. The tests I ran were positive, nothing to worry about." Minjun chuckles and Junho's insides shrivel up. He can only imagine what all of this makes Wooyoung feel.

"Can't you like, find a fucking straight person and make them gay like the aliens have done it?? You know the genome code!" Wooyoung yells desperately.

"I'm afraid my knowledge is not up to that level. There’s no time to waste." Minjun smiles grimly and takes a syringe full of dark liquid. It must contain the virus.

"I will fucking kill you, you idiot." Wooyoung screams with tears in his eyes and Junho wraps his arm around Wooyoung's shoulders, squeezing encouragingly.

"Maybe you should trust him?" Junho suggests and regrets it immediately.

"Trust this fucking bastard who's about to abandon me for the second time?" He pushes Junho away. "I will obliterate Solis if this dumbass turns into a zombie. Don't you fucking dare." Wooyoung turns his teary eyes to Minjun behind the glass. "Please!"

"I'm sorry." Minjun injects himself with the virus and everyone falls silent.

The doctor exhales and looks at the watch on his wrist, while Junho counts the seconds in his mind. Wooyoung looks like his inner world is about to shatter. Junho feels so fucking sorry for the guy. If it were Chansung... Junho shakes his head, pushing the dark thoughts away.

Minjun staggers a little and they yelp behind the glass as he starts shivering and sits on a chair, still looking at the watch.

_40 seconds._

His body goes numb and the doctor closes his eyes, trying to compose himself. Junho knows how bad it feels.

Minjun groans and then falls back silent; his head hanging low, looking like a mannequin, as if his life has left him.

_60 seconds._

"Minjun?" Wooyoung’s voice cracks. Silence, no movement. "You're the lock picker, open the goddamn door!" He yells at Junho.

"It's an electronic door with a key card, there's no lock to pick..." He whispers.

"Fuck! I need to hack that shit with my tools." All three of them stare at the door, feeling helpless. "Why can't he be normal, for fuck's sake? Why am I in love with this fucking sadist? Why?" Wooyoung kicks the door and falls back, holding onto his ankle. "Fuck. Fuck..."

Suddenly, their eyes move back to the door as it opens.

Minjun stands calmly, his eyes slightly glassy, but he doesn't look like a runner. Still human.

"I'm alive." He says and smiles tiredly. It worked.

Wooyoung lunges towards him and Junho hopes to see the hottest relief-kiss of the year, but instead Wooyoung punches Minjun in the face so hard the doctor falls on his ass, overwhelmed by the emotion. Wooyoung then grabs him by the collar and pulls him up on his feet.

"I hate you so fucking much." He presses his lips to Minjun's and kisses him roughly before pulling back and leaving the latter dumbfounded; the virus probably only enhancing this weird experience. "Now, inject me."

"What?" Minjun looks high.

"Do it, now! Or I will really kill you. Don't try me."

"Fuck, you guys are too intense." Chansung backs down and shakes his head. "Let's leave these two; I don't want to get killed in the process."

"Agreed." Junho glances at Minjun who grabs another syringe from the refrigerator and the soldier duo leaves the laboratory puzzled, but otherwise quite content. Everything went better than expected (except for Minjun's jawbone). They cracked two nuts today. Now, all is left is the world.

 

***

 

_3 years later_

The spaceship lands in a derelict city, only a few roamers haunting the street. Chansung pulls his hand away from the control desk and glances at Yubin. Her hair is in a high ponytail and her eyes look determined like they always do. She's one of the immune team members, just like Chansung. When they learned how to use the spaceship, Chansung and Junho went on a rescue mission, willing to find Yubin and her people alive. However, she was the only survivor, thanks to her altered DNA. Being alone, but immune, Yubin didn't leave the broken-down shopping mall, because she still believed Chansung would keep his word to come and rescue her. He did. 

It was him, Junho, Wooyoung, and Minjun who were immune at the beginning, and with Yubin they've got another great addition to the team.

They came up with a plan on how to start cleaning their country and, possibly, the world. The fact Minjun was the head of Solis left them with no choice but to exclude him from the outside missions. So it were Chansung, Junho, Wooyoung, and Yubin sweeping the cities, killing runners and regulars, although after so many years most of them were roamers, and they were easy to kill as their bodies were in a pretty bad shape.

They trained the rest of the Solis people to become soldiers, so they could help cleaning the checked areas, including killing weak roamers. Sometimes they would find survivors and they would make them a part of Solis as well as the cleaning forces. Of course, occasionally, they'd meet hostile survivors and they'd leave them be. People who were too far gone had no place among Solis citizens.

Soon, Solis couldn't accommodate all the survivors, so people started moving back into the cleaned villages or cities. It was a slow process, but it was working. Finally, people felt like there was a light at the end of the tunnel and they worked hard to make sure they reach it. Some might never see the rest of the world safe and clean, but it's the first steps that matter the most. 

There are other immune team members, sweeping other cities, but Chansung, Junho, Wooyoung, and Yubin always keep close, while Nichkhun and Taecyeon help with the military training back at Solis, often leading groups of cleaners to the checked areas. Everyone has a place and a role. That's how Chansung had intended it to be from the moment Minjun had assigned him to be the leader of the Solis outside forces, responsible for taking back the cities from the dead.

"Let's go outside and sweep this city." He says and Yubin nods to that. Nearby, there's another spaceship, the original one, and Chansung sees Junho and Wooyoung standing outside, talking.

"Let's go in twos this time. I'm grabbing Chansung." Junho announces, leaving no room for objections. Wooyoung and Yubin team up and go left.

It feels unusual, when Junho grabs Chansung's hand and takes him a few blocks away. It seems like Junho has a purpose, so Chansung waits for his explanation patiently. They stop in front of a tall apartment complex. Junho lets go his hand.

"It's this one, isn't it?" He looks at the taller male, somewhat satisfied.

"What?"

"It's where you lived before the disaster struck, isn't it? I did my research." Junho beams proudly and it comes back to Chansung's mind.

"Shit. I didn't even realize we're back in my hometown. It's so different and ruined. I'm amazed you found it." There's warmth in Chansung's chest, mixed with nostalgia.

"Which floor was it?"

"5th, apartment 522."

"Good, let's visit your home." Junho walks up the stairs first, Chansung following closely behind.

On their way, they encounter a couple of roamers and get rid of them before continuing on their way to Chansung's home. It's so weird to see this place so derelict because at one point it felt so cozy. There's trash and some doors are open, but they don't go in to check the rooms. Junho seems very eager to see what Chansung's home looks like. The Sergeant smiles to himself, _that's cute_.

Finally, they stop in front of the door, numeric symbols before their eyes. 

_522_

Junho checks the door and it's locked: no one got in during all those years. Chansung sighs, feeling relieved. Skillfully, Junho works his magic on the lock and allows Chansung to do the honours and open it for the first time in years.

Instantly, it feels like they entered a time capsule: there's a thick layer of dust, the windows are dirty and it feels slightly wrong to disturb this place. Chansung walks across the hallway and turns left to the living room, while Junho turns right to check the flat on his own. Chansung notices his laptop, resting on the table and picks it up looking for a charger: he will most definitely bring it back to Solis, there is too much precious information on it. He finds the charger under the table and puts everything in his backpack, walking towards the balcony.

"Chansung." Junho's voice stops him from behind, so he turns around. There's something in his hand.

"What's that?"

"The thing you’ve told me about quite a while ago. I thought you might want it back." Junho smiles and gives a framed photograph to Chansung.

Chansung covers his mouth with his palm looking at the photo, bittersweet feeling blooming in his chest. It's the photo of him and his parents, putting a graduation hat on his tiny head, his face sour, but funny. A graduation photo, the gift from his neighbour and teacher. He lets out a deep sigh, rolling his head backwards slightly to keep himself from crying.

"You kept your promise. You brought me here just for this photo." Chansung says as Junho chews on his lips, his ears red.

"I told you I would." He appears nonchalant as he looks away, but Chansung knows him too well. If Junho has something on his mind, he will do it. Even if it takes years. He can always count on this man; he's saved him in so many ways. Everything that happened during their time together lead to this moment. Chansung remembers the first time they met: Junho looked distant, cold even. Chansung could have never imagined they'd experience so much together. And at this very moment, he knows it was all worth it, happiness and sorrow, because he can trust Junho with his life and he'd do the same for him.

His body moves on his own when he kisses Junho deep and long, savouring his full wet lips and tongue. 

That's his home. Junho is his home.


End file.
